Simple steps for beating your deadlines

Practically, the supervisors may have to follow up on delay of work several times before progress can be noticed. On the other hand, subordinates may be chased for delivery of completed work until it becomes a part of the routine work. This kind of inefficiency should be eliminated before the company loses its competitiveness in the market place. 

For example, a factory needed to find a way to increase production capacity, which could be done with different solutions available. This project had been assigned to responsible people for a long time without much progress. Finally the delay led to the company missing out on a big order from one major customer. This customer had to move to a new supplier who could ensure the continuous supply of the products. Concerned people in this project were called for explanation after this big loss. 

When investigating the root cause of the problem, there could be a list of reasons and excuses for the failure in executing the task as planned. Some of the main reasons could be:

_ The mismatch between workload and headcount – this might be true when there is a tendency for high volume of work, resulting in overtime work over a long period of time.

_ Waiting for complete information – this can be possible when key information cannot be obtained for decision-making. 

However, sometimes the best estimate and basic assumption should be developed into the action plan and execution.

_ Buying time – some people might choose to postpone necessary actions until it was close to the target deadline letting the valuable time pass without making any progress at work.

_ Lack of communication – when a project involved several concerned parties, it was necessary for everyone to have the same information and understanding before each one could proceed with his/her own task. Ignorance of two-way communication could be another cause of delay. 

 

Instead of dealing with this kind of waste, the management should cultivate the mindset of effective working habits that responsible people can achieve the work target ahead of time. The following guidelines may be useful in developing the practice that enhances the efficiency and effectiveness throughout the organisation.

_ A sense of urgency – it is important to make sure that employees have sense of urgency for important work, especially the one that could have high impact to the overall business success.

_ Actionable information – businesses need complete and accurate information in a timely manner. However, this information should be geared towards taking action. It can be in the form of a warning, exception or highlight of work progress update.

_ Right motivation – the recognition of significant achievements should be properly done to motivate more people to change the work practice. There are many forms of recognition that can be considered and applied, which may not necessarily cost a lot of money.

_ Coaching – sometimes, it is possible that responsible people need some kind of coaching and advice from the supervisor to try a different way of working and adapt other best practices. 

Today, it is not enough to just achieve the target on time when competitors move faster than expected. Let’s change the working style and mindset to achieve the target that surpasses the expectations of all concerned.

 

Yanyong Thammatucharee can be reached at [email protected]