You have a huge project coming up, relax...and prepare now to make things run smoother.
Your boss has put that overhaul of your companys billing procedures on
the back burner for months, and now it is time to finally get the ball
rolling...with you as the project leader. Or, perhaps you have just been
handed the responsibility for re-organizing the documentation of
customer correspondence for the entire Northeast region a project that
could take weeks or even months to complete, but nonetheless is due next
Tuesday.
No matter what the project, certain principals of proper planning apply.
And the key is to put the plan in place before the project begins while
things are still relatively calm, rather than attempting to wing it as
the project actually goes into motion and the deadline quickly nears.
To follow are some proven techniques:
Work backwards from the due date.
Many people make the mistake of establishing a project schedule from the
point at which they begin the work, rather than first taking into
account the most important aspect of the schedule: when the project has
to be finished. Calculate how long each task will take and subtract that
time from the due date.
Assign priority status to various tasks.
In creating your time schedule as per the bullet-point above, you need
to also take into account which project tasks must be prioritized. For
example, if you know that part of the project involves sending something
to an outside vendor (and waiting for it to be completed and returned to
you), you must prioritize that project task...allowing for the extra
time.
Identify the resources you will need to complete the project and
allocate them accordingly.
For instance, if your project involves creating a 50-page presentation
for your boss complete with multiple handouts for an upcoming meeting,
it is likely you will need not only your talents and your computer
skills but also the services of your companys photo-copy department to
run duplicate sets of the presentation.
Allow time for setbacks.
As you might expect, not everyone always has the luxury of time to make
up for mistakes, but the truth is, something challenging will almost
always arise in any sizable project...whether it is a co-worker (whom
you are depending on) that calls in sick on the very day you need them
most, or a power outage that costs you several hours worth of computer
data. If at all possible, pad your schedule to provide extra time for
the inevitable setbacks that can occur during the course of your project.
