If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to become a more organized person and meet your deadlines without getting in trouble with your line manager, you’ve come to the right place.
Since this is a new habit to cultivate, you’ll surely need some guidance. So, here are some tips to help you manage deadlines so that you can be on top of your game, and prove yourself valuable to your organization.
Know What The Task Entails
When you are given a task, the first thing to do is to get all the necessary details, down to the seemingly ‘minor’ ones. If you need some clarifications, ask your line manager (or whoever assigned the task to you) all the questions you have. Doing this will help you navigate the task better, and will help you determine if you need more time or some assistance.
Document It
You can’t always trust your memory now, can you? Besides, as humans, we deal with lots of distractions in our personal and professional lives daily, all vying for our attention. By documenting the task and its deadline (either in your to-do lists, calendar, or any other means that works for you), you can prioritize your task(s) and keep track of your progress.
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Ask for Help (and Delegate If You Can)
You might experience roadblocks and setbacks while working on your task. When you do, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. Also, if you are in the position to do so, you can delegate minor parts of your task to other employees, while you work on the more complex parts.
Dedicate Specific Times to Specific Assignments
This requires you to be organized. Every day, put together your to-do list and allocate specific time frames to all your tasks. During each time frame, ensure that you remove all distractions, to enable you to focus. You can digitalize the process by adding your tasks to your calendar so that you get notified when it’s time for your tasks.
Identify Your Distractions and Manage Them
Distractions are inevitable, but they can be efficiently managed. The first thing to do is to identify what your distractions (current and potential) are. When you do this, create a plan to take care of them. If you need to reduce your screen time, turn on the ‘do not disturb’ mode on your phone or isolate yourself for a while.
Communicate Often
Ensure that you keep concerned individuals in the loop of the progress of your work. If you have any questions or suggestions, communicate. If you’re experiencing any setback, communicate. If you aren’t certain that you’ll be able to meet the deadline, communicate. Ensure that you communicate and follow up as often as possible.
Prioritize
When you have been given the assignment to work on, it’s advisable to examine all the tasks and what it will require, and prioritize as much as possible. Look at the tasks that need to be completed first, as well as the tasks that will most likely require more work and attention, then ensure that you deal with those first. You can outline all the tasks and rank them in order of priority. Doing this will serve as a clear guide.
Final Words: While deadlines are important, they are not set in stone. You are human and you might not be capable of meeting them always. When you foresee that this might happen, ensure that you notify all the relevant parties ahead of time so that you can work out a plan for completion or extend the deadline.
Avoid leaving your clients or colleagues uninformed or notifying them when it’s too late, as this could give them a negative impression of your work ethic and show you as being unprofessional.
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