How To Manage Work To Meet Deadlines

Very few people know the word ‘deadline’ originated from Civil War Prisons around the world. A line was drawn a certain distance from the limits of the prison and any prisoner who crossed the said line was shot on sight. Brutal? Most definitely. But that also put the fear of a deadline in everyone till date.

As an entrepreneur a deadline is something you will have to face on a daily basis. So much to do in so little time. So how can you stay on top of your work while delivering quality results? Here’s how:

1. Negotiate the specifics
Have a clear picture of what all needs to be done, by when and at what time. The specifics will give you an idea of what all needs to be done, prioritize and allocate time for each task. After understanding the workload you can decide whether the work can be completed by the given deadline and negotiate for more time if not.

2. Use a planner to make notes
Generally, we rely on our memory to remember the day’s work. More often than not, we forget a minimum of one task. Instead of relying on your brain, use a planner or a diary to write down all the work that needs to be completed and check it off the list once it’s done. You can even mark your deadlines in the planner.

3. Break it down
 Break down your work into smaller tasks that can be completed one after the other to finish the overall work. Give specific time for each task to be completed and strive to finish it in that time only. You will also feel motivated once you finish the smaller tasks making it that much easier to finish the whole project.

4. Never over commit
Confidence is good. Overconfidence will only kill the progress you have made. While testing your boundaries by taking on bigger projects it is important for the startup to grow, it is equally important to deliver quality work to the customers. Don’t intentionally set yourself up for failure. Take a step back to understand how much you can take on and how much would be overkill.

5. Set a proxy deadline
Make up a deadline for yourself and try to accomplish the task by then. If you do finish the challenge by the proxy deadline, you’ll have a little more time on your hands to go over the work and make sure it is devoid of errors. Sometimes just looking at the completed project can give you ideas on how to make it better. There’s always the plus of the client being impressed by your work ethic.

One thing to remember as an entrepreneur is that you aren’t working alone. Even if you are on top of your work, you also need to ensure your team is right beside you and not behind you. 

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