Last Minute Project Management Success Strategies
June 04, 2008
A last minute project. Not again. You have to break the news to your team. Drop what you're doing. Cancel your plans. This needed to be done…yesterday.
By Jeff Schmitt
You can already hear their collective groan, seconds after you hit the send button. "Don't shoot the messenger," you plead as your team surrounds you, pitchforks and torches in hand. Of course, this isn't the first time…and it won't be the last. You can list all the reasons for this last minute project. A ripple—in budgeting, competitors, economics and leadership—can sweep away any company's best laid plans. Now, it's your job to assemble the talent and tools to implement a new one.
As a manager, you inevitably catch the blowback. It is a no-win situation when last minute projects are involved. There is never a good time; the bellyaching is inevitable.
What can you do? Try these strategies:
• Examine the impact. As a manager, your job is to keep your team focused, protect their time and raise their performance. Before you assign the task, step back and evaluate it. Ask yourself, "What can I do to soften the pain? Are there places where I can scale it back? Can I break it into components and spread them across the team? Can I remove or dilute other tasks vying for their time?"
What can you do to chop the perception down to size? Establish a plan, replete with benchmarks and deadlines, to instill confidence and avoid shoddy, last minute output.
• Use existing tools. An unexpected project is the perfect time to take inventory and evaluate your existing resources. Are there other alternatives to collecting this data, executing this plan or producing this creative? Could this task be outsourced? Could you draw on internal resources, such as administrative staff or other departments, to enhance expertise and reduce burden?
For example, let's say you need to compile a customer database. After you determine the necessary fields, look at your current systems. Which applications house the various data? Can these systems be cross-referenced or integrated to eliminate your silos? What processes will you incorporate to update data and leverage this tool across the enterprise? Most important, how will you build the flexibility required to accommodate new variables as needs change over time?
In short, don't view these last minute projects as one-shot, quick-and-dirty hassles. Use them to lay a foundation, to test and incubate long-term solutions.
• Be clear. Remember when we were warned not to "cry wolf" as children? Chances are, your staff views this project as an overreaction, bringing more bureaucracy and busywork. They see no "why" beyond protecting a higher-up's cushy job.
That's why transparency is so important. Clearly articulate your goals. Help your team visualize the end result. Show how their work will make the organization more efficient and competitive. Most important, tie everything back to how their labor will inevitably make their lives better. Of course, don't forget to include rewards at the end. They are probably doing you a big favor. Make sure you do something for them in return.
• Assume you have blind spots. This is something you want to do once. You want to get it right the first time. Before you publicize this project to your team, share it with your circle of trust—both inside and outside your team. Bounce around ideas. Identify pitfalls early in the process. Anticipate potential concerns from your team. Look for ways to streamline the process. Outline exactly what you want, along with the tools and processes for achieving your ends, to ensure everyone does their piece consistently and correctly.
• Look at the big picture. A last minute project is truly a blessing in disguise. As a manager, you are already your department’s advocate. However, it is often hard to command the spotlight. These projects are an opportunity to expose your department's value and position them for a large role.
Even more, adversity inevitably forges bonds. A common goal is a perfect way to channel your team's energy and produce that elusive unity. And achieving this goal creates trust, momentum and composure, making the next last minute project that much easier.
Jeff Schmitt is a freelance writer from Dubuque, IA. His e-mail address is jschmittdbq@mchsi.com.
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