After receiving a project to manage with nearly impossible stated deadline, the first most imperative thing comes into my mind is ‘how to create a sense of urgency in project team?’
As most of the project managers, I come across an authority issue, my project team usually a collection of functional roles congregates to execute the specific project and dismantle after the closure.
I stick with some of the rules that helped me in finishing the project on time.
Define sharp-edged milestones: The first important and basic principal I followed was defining flexible schedule yet with SHARP-EDGED deliverables and milestones that left no ambiguity.
State the deadline: When assigning a task to team member, always make sure you STATE THE DEADLINE and when you are stating the deadline include date and time e.g. March 13 at 3:30. That leaves no room for negotiation.
Document the commitment: Document what your team member committed to in a simple email.
Followup followup followup: Always follow-up on the deadlines, and when the deadline arrives take action by providing feedback.
Escalate : There are obstacles all Project Managers come across during the implementation but one should know when to break the barriers and escalate.
