Deadlines – a word that can instantly cause hearts to race, minds to go numb and stress. If you happen to be in a work scenario, deadlines are often like the bosses that hunt down employers. Deadlines and due dates always manage to break a sweat on the worker’s forehead but not for long, because we have come up with ways you can meet your deadlines and crush them.
1. Talk
One of the main reasons employees are not able to meet the set deadlines is either they weren’t aware of it or weren’t made aware of the severity of it. Either way, it is important that the client and the employer talk things through before they set a deadline. During discussions, both sides get a chance to see the work at hand in a more realistic stance and value and better gauge the amount the time needed to complete it. Deadlines are not the only thing that can be discussed during meetings, the severity of the work and what needs to be done to complete it. Don’t limit talking to your client only in the initial phase of the project, consistently keep in with them. Be it about updating your customer on the progress of the assignment or announcing a certain delay in work, talk to the customer.
2. Prioritize
Now this falls entirely on the employee’s hands. Prioritizing one’s work makes it easier to implement the work and also makes it simpler to reach the deadline on time. Make a note on your calendar/notebook or a set it as a reminder on your phone. Make sure you set the priorities depending on the urgency of the task at hand. Once you have done your priorities straight, stick to them.
3. Consistent work
Work on the assignment at hand every day. Piling the work till the due date and then pulling an all-nighter to cramp in and complete your job will get you only a headache. So unless you enjoy the whole process of hampering work into one night, it is best to do little of workload every day until the day of the deadline. Break down the project into bite-sized portions that you can do/ achieve on a daily basis. This is an excellent way to track the progress of the work at hand and also gives you a little bit encourage to keep going till the finish line.
4. Set mini goals
This pointer is in conjunction with the previous one – setting up bite-sized portions of the assignment and ensuring that you achieve them daily. Accomplishing self-set mini daily goals is an easy way to lift the workload slowly.
5. Time
Not many people know the importance of time, which can be a cruel mistress to the idlers. When embarking on a new assignment or project, always make sure that you have adequate time on your hand before you accept it. Sure, a new project might sound exciting at first, but each assignment brings with it, its set of difficulties and struggles. Trying to squeeze in double the workload into a short timespan is just asking for trouble. Always ‘look before you leap.’
6. Be Aware of Setbacks
Unforeseen circumstances are just what they are – Unforeseen. So you will need to be prepared for such situations. Before you take up a new project, think about the possible situationS that could hinder with the productivity and chalk out the due date with that in mind. Should you meet a possible mishap that prevents work from progressing, immediately inform the client. Depending on the severity of the situation talk with the customer about a delay or a postponement of the deadline. Do not make the decision singlehandedly that will only result in chaos.
No two clients are the same. Likewise, no two projects are the same even if the result says so. Treat each project as a fresh start and try to implement the lessons you learned from previous assignments. With experience, managing time and meeting deadlines will become an effortless task.
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