Too Many Irons in the Fire? Tips for Coping with Project Overload

Community Manager — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:20:00 GMT

It happens to all of us. We all have days (sometimes weeks) when there is just more work to be done than hours to do it. If you're in the midst of project overload, we've assembled some tips for tackling that mound of work head on rather than getting buried by it.

Time to Get Going

Triage (aka Prioritize): What projects must get done? Which can be put off for a later date?

Organize: Break projects down into discrete elements and asses how long each component will realistically take.

Work Backwards: Identify the due date, get it on your calendar and begin charting out a workflow, working backwards from when the project must be complete. Calculate how long each discrete task will take and subtract that time from the due date. Add in wiggle room for the inevitable delays.

Identify Resources: Do you need IT help with a power point? Does your project need major copying and collating? You don't want to wait until the last minute to figure out that your IT team is booked elsewhere or that the company's photo-copying department has several other projects ahead of you in the queue.

Many Hands Make Light Work: If you are swamped, see if colleagues can help pitch in or perhaps work can be outsourced to freelancers. If you are a solo practitioner juggling multiple projects, determine if your clients have flexibility with their deadlines.

Learn to Say No: In a tough economy, it's hard to say no to work. But too much of a good thing is still too much, so learn how to say no to stave off burnout. If you're worried about losing clients or upsetting your boss, be clear that you want to give 100 percent to a project or a job and are unwilling to commit unless you can deliver. Let them know that when your workload frees up, you'll be happy to take on the additional assignments. Odds are your honesty will be appreciated.

How do you prevent project overload? Have any tips for digging out when projects overwhelm? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

Never Miss a Deadline Again

Community Manager — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:24:00 GMT

Dorothy Parker the famous literary wit once observed, "I never met a deadline I couldn't miss." Most of us can't afford to be so blasé about deadlines. At work (and in life) deadlines exist for a reason and are expected to be met. If you find yourself repeatedly missing deadlines despite your best intentions we have some helpful tips.

Care: To meet a deadline you have to care about the deadline. Really care. Make the deadline a priority and you've taken the most important step in meeting it.

Organize: Once you've committed to a deadline, keep track of it. Have a calendar or a running list of deadlines and dates and check it daily. A daily check-in keeps you on track and ensures you won't inadvertently overlook a due date.

Define: The deadline's when? Make sure you are on the same page as your boss or client. Be as specific as possible (i.e. don't say sometime next week, or early next month.) Ambiguity has the potential to leave one party feeling shortchanged.

Bite Size Pieces: Estimate how long the entire project will take and then break it into smaller pieces. Giving yourself smaller deadlines for each piece will help you stay on track.

Build a Cushion: This is for you procrastinators. Okay, it's actually for everybody. Building in a cushion helps you meet deadlines by allowing leeway to accommodate unforeseen delays.

Step by Step: You know what they say about the journey of a thousand miles. Just take that first step and then keep on going. Focus on that first step and don't worry about the rest until it's time for Step 2 and so on.

Be Realistic: When it's time to tackle a specific step, make sure you're realistic about how much time it will take. And make that time sacrosanct; treat it like a cannot-miss appointment.

Don't Over Commit: Just say no to taking on unrealistic assignments. If you cannot commit to finishing a project on time, don't take it on.

Pull Out the Stops: Maybe you underestimated the time a job needed, or perhaps you procrastinated. Now is the time to do whatever it takes to finish on time. Stay up late, work weekends. Do what it takes.

Never Again: If your best efforts to make a deadline still fail, take time to analyze what went wrong and assess how you can prevent future such mishaps.

How do you stick to deadlines? Do you think missing a deadline reflects poorly on someone? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

Beyond Folders : time management, deadlines

Too Many Irons in the Fire? Tips for Coping with Project Overload

Time to Get Going

Never Miss a Deadline Again