How To Get Things Done Ahead of Deadlines

How To Get Things Done Ahead of Deadlines
Instructor: Samantha Bennett and Madecraft
Released: 6/9/2021	Course Details 1h Beginner
Skills Covered Deadline Management		Course Link
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) N/A
Have you ever worked with someone who never seemed to miss a deadline and often got things done early? If yes, you’ve likely wondered what their secret is. In this course, creativity and productivity expert Samantha Bennett will demystify how these deadline masters operate. Sam discusses the psychology of deadlines, methods you can use to set a project or target for success, and how to create timelines that work. She goes over ways you can plan for when things go off course, then concludes with practical strategies to set expectations, communicate, collaborate, and get things done. Source: LinkedIN Learning

Why We Miss Deadlines

Worst possible circumstances

Complicated (Predictable and replicable) vs. Complex (Unpredictable and unstable)

It is more challenging to create an accurate deadline for a complex project.

Agreement:
Get everyone involved to align.

Simplicity:
The simpler something is, the easier it is to get done.

How can you increase agreement, alignment and simplicity for your next project?

The last minute rush

Urgency is the hidden force that guides what you get done, rather than what is the most important thing.

If you want to be less chaotic, prioritize important things over urgent things. If you want to get more done, apply a sense of urgency.

Use mini deadlines to maintain a sense of urgency over longer-term projects.

The beauty of deadlines

Deadlines tell your brain what to focus on. Deadlines keep you accountable to the group. Deadlines move ideas into action. Deadlines can be a form of positive pressure.

Set deadlines to help you…. focus, remain accountable, move into action, and keep the pressure on.

Before You Even Begin

Talking with experts

Getting information ahead of time helps mitigate future problems.

If you are pursuing your own idea, seek out advice from others. Call people to get the best information.

Four Questions To Guide The Conversation

What do you wish someone had told you ahead of time?
What turned out to be easier than you thought it would be?
What was harder than you thought it would be?
If you had to do it again, what would you change or not change?

Sleuthing the truth

Unearth the why to get things moving.

Where id this idea originate?
What problem are we trying to solve?
How does this project fit in with our overall strategy?
How urgent is it? How should it be prioritized?
What are the projected outcomes and how will we know it we’ve succeeded?

Share the “why” behind something so people don’t come to the wrong conclusion. Be clear on the vision and the objectives up front.

Poll the team

Poll the team before kicking off a project. Don’t worry about answering their concerns, right now we are just listening.

Set a 20-minute kick off meeting. Start your meeting by having everyone briefly share something unrelated to work. Finding out the details of someone’s life humanizes them. Tapping into your multiplicity makes you more innovative.

Foster buy-in
Share the “why”
Repeat any concerns you heard
Get input from the team
Ask leading questions

Historical research

Google the project before you start. Try spending 15 minutes getting inspired by what other people may have done in the past. Get a historical perspective. How have people historically solved the problem? Spend no more than 30 minutes to gain an understanding.

Perfecting Your Plan

How to prioritize

Identify the task
Determine how much time is required
How much money is involved?
How big is the impact of the project?
When is the deadline?
Identify the ROI – what do you get back from this project
Is it fun or will we have a good feeling

Identify a score from 1 to 5 for each of the items above for each task. Add up all numbers to identify the priority for your tasks.

Why we’re here

What is the point of this meeting? Get clear about the desired outcome. Help everyone understand why they are there and how they fit in.

Meeting Killers

Scope creep
Going off topic
Vagueness

Defining the vision

What is the point of this project? A strong vision will help you keep on track.

What is our mission?
How are we making the world a better place with our work?
How does this project fit into that mission?
How will this project specifically improve our business or community?
What are the desired outcomes and by when?
How do we want it to feel?

Inviting dissent

The Six Hats

White -> Facts
Red -> Emotions
Yellow -> Positivity
Black -> Judgement
Green -> Creativity
Blue -> Planning

Questioning your thoughts is a valuable part of the planning process.

Rewarding yourself and others

If you want things done ahead of deadline, offer a meaningful reward. It’s great if you can offer a reward to the whole team. It’s important to acknowledge when you have done well.

Creating Timelines That Work

Reverse engineering

Working backwards forces you to consider every step in the process.

Managing forward movement

Try a quick daily stand-up meeting.

Stand-Up Agenda:

Start with something positive
What did you do yesterday?
What are you doing today?
What do you need?

A daily review can help get things done ahead of schedule.

Rewarding early communication

Create a culture of honesty and teamwork. Let people know of delays as soon as possible. Get clear on exactly how long recurring tasks take, then plan accordingly. Can you project and plan for delays?

Tools to stay on track

Keep it to one topic per comment in discussion threads. Keep conversations separated by topic. Only include the people who need to be included. Label and date everything using the same labeling convention. Use templated emails and predesigned subject lines to streamline your inbox. Use Post-its to quickly summarize complex papers.

Avoiding interruptions

Multitasking -> Doing multiple things at the same time
Task-switching -> Doing one thing at a time; switching from task to task.

Mitigate tasks switching by avoiding interruptions. Set office hours or standing check-ins to signal when you are available. Turn off all notifications. Practice redirecting your attention back to the task.

Disasters Will Definitely Happen

Tech disasters

Make sure you have backups. Take good care of your equipment. Avoid using new technology when working on time-sensitive projects. Always have a back-up plan prepared. Appreciate your IT team before disaster strikes.

Material disasters

Plan for delays by looking at the materials that you are relying on. Always double-check your materials before you get started.

What’s likely to go wrong here?
What problems have you seen happen before?
How can we prevent those from happening with this project?

People disasters

Create an institutional memory to keep track of valuable information. Meet with your team members individually.

Stealing Tricks of A+ Students

Underpromise and overdeliver

Set interim goals. Build buffer time into your schedule. Under promise over deliver. Complete tasks ahead of schedule. Create urgency with false deadlines. Take the time to make it look professional.

Buddy system

Human beings are good at learning via others. Consider making it a group project.

Bribery and competition works

Bribe yourself to get things done on time. Add a competitive or gaming component to group projects. Reward yourself for doing hard things and getting things done.