Beyond Deadlines
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Career Acceleration, Realistic Planning, Repeat Priorities & Jobs (EMEA)

Career Acceleration, Realistic Planning, Repeat Priorities & Jobs (EMEA)

Micah Piippo
August 12, 2024

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Welcome back to Beyond Deadlines newsletter—a free perk for people looking to improve in Planning and Scheduling. Each week, we provide tactics, prompts, jobs and food for thought. We want you to succeed today, tomorrow and throughout the rest of your career.

A company’s culture is shaped by a lot of things, but this is one of the most important—you have to convey your priorities clearly and repeatedly.

In my experience, it’s what separates great managers from the rest. If leaders don’t articulate their priorities clearly, then the people around them don’t know what their own priorities should be. Time and energy and capital get wasted.

People in your organization suffer unnecessary anxiety because they don’t know what they should be focused on. Inefficiency sets in, frustration builds up, morale sinks.

Robert Iger, Ride of a Lifetime

One of the hardest situations planners or schedulers face is the "impossible to deliver project" - one that is mathematically impossible to complete on time.

Yet, Project Managers often refuse to admit this reality.

Clinging to an unattainable deadline is far costlier than accepting a realistic forecast.

If you're in this situation, collect robust qualitative and quantitative data. Gather allies: the cost analyst, procurement manager, and head of engineering and design. More advocates create stronger peer pressure on non-believers.

Present two perspectives:

The project misses the deadline, wasting months tracking an unrealistic target and making everyone look foolish.
A realistic forecast is chosen, allowing for grounded mitigations and genuine opportunities to accelerate the timeline.

Tell these stories repeatedly. Build a coalition for realism. Don't lose hope - persistence is key to shifting entrenched mindsets and salvaging project outcomes.