Racing to the Proverbial Deadline

*file courtesy: Ferrari/Shell Racing*

Is it done, yet? Where is that document I asked you for? The customers needed this yesterday! We can’t miss our deadline!

If you work in an office like ours, you’ll have heard the above lines a million and one times and for good reason. The pressures of upcoming deadlines can often fill an office with unnecessary stress and agitation. Advertising and design are all about getting work done faster than is humanly possible, and often we don’t realize how hard our staff is working because we’re always running up against a hard deadline.

Today’s society is all about instant gratification. We seldom consider how much time needs to be allotted to a particular project because we simply do not have time to waste. We fear customers will seek another company if we don’t agree to their tight timelines and perhaps they will. What’s sad is that most customers fail to understand that they are not the only customers and that policies such as turnover times and scheduled timelines are designed in order to protect their interests as much as ours. If advertising agencies are not allotted enough time for a project and things are rushed, errors are bound to occur. Creativity takes time.

And so, inspired by the rush of crunch time, I believe that project managers, presidents, managers, directors and bosses of all kinds should take note of the following:

How to Inspire Your Staff to Meet Impossible Deadlines

1) Do not make impossible deadlines – It may seem simple or even silly saying this, but if you already have twenty projects on the go and your staff is completely overwhelmed, adding on a new project without seeking some extra help is notably a bad idea.

2) Give rewards where rewards are due – Letting your staff know they’re doing a great job through dropping a small email, or verbally rewarding them at a meeting inspires your staff to keep on keeping on. People like knowing that their hard work isn’t being ignored. They will work harder when they feel they’re appreciated.

3) Plan ahead – If you know you have a tight deadline coming up, plan ahead for it. Assign tasks to specific people and arrange a follow up to ensure they’re getting the job done. Hold scheduled meetings to discuss progress. Have brainstorming meetings to spark creativity. All of these things will make sure your team knows of the upcoming deadline and can work together to get everything completed on time.

4) Work together as a team – Without constant communication and teamwork, the job will not get done properly. You will run the risk of having people doing the same task, things not getting done on time and, in general, utter and complete chaos. Make sure everyone knows what’s going on and how to work together to succeed at a common job.

5) Choose the right jobs for the right people – This goes without saying, but it should be said anyhow. Even when things are getting busy and you’re unbelievably stressed out, it is never a good idea to throw work on someone’s table when it isn’t what they’re qualified to do. Regardless of how talented someone is, there’s a reason why we hire specific people for specific jobs. Don’t risk having something done badly or frustrating a member of your team.