Project management is about setting goals, planning tasks, delegating the work effectively, and monitoring progress to meet deadlines. Depending on the scope of the project and its complexity, it can sometimes be difficult to meet deadlines. In some cases, a project may already be underway before problems are encountered – leading to panic and further railroading the project. To avoid deadline fiasco in project management, there are five guidelines to keep in mind:
Recognize the distinction between target date and deadline
The difference between the two lies in the consequences if the date is not met. When a deadline is missed, the project is basically killed. For example, in contest entries, there is usually a date by which your entry should be submitted by. If the entry was not submitted by that time, there is no point in continuing with a project. On the other hand, when target date is missed, the consequences are also dire but the work still needs to be finished.
Derive rational target dates
The target date should be the result of a detailed project plan. The critical path should make the earliest target date visible. Actual target date may be later depending upon the priority of the company and availability of staff. If the derived target date is unacceptable, there are several choices including (1) reduce project scope, (2) defer certain aspects of the project, and (3) accept the target date and provide strong support for the team.
Differentiate urgency from priority
Priority is a relative term. Without abusing its concept, certain tasks are given varying degrees of importance. Tasks become urgent when the benefits of its success are great while its failure will result to dire consequences. Urgent tasks/projects move it to a higher level of priority, enabling it to tap otherwise unavailable manpower and funds.
Avoid self-imposed target dates
Whether it’s the target date or deadline, the timeframe should only be the result of a rational project plan or an external event (which influences the need to complete a project). However, in some cases, target dates come out arbitrarily out of management edict or self-imposed desire to complete the project as soon as possible.
Never give reward people to meet deadlines
Successful projects are those that meet the agreed-upon goals, meet the deadline, and are completed within budget. Every team member needs to understand what is expected of them without the need of additional incentives. However, in high-pressure projects, management might try to spur the team with bonuses. This kind of incentive may undermine the entire project because people will be tempted to take shortcuts and do the barest minimum to meet deadlines.
Author: Steven Macdessi
