Work Lectures - On structure and deadlines

Someone once said that it's no point having a good structure in place if you don't have the right people. But make no mistake, good planning and structure is critical to the smooth functioning of an organisation. This means a few things.

First, set realistic expectations for yourself so that your targets are achieved. While workload may be heavy, the key thing is to find ways to minimise them by setting realistic targets. For instance, if you know you have x, y and z to get done this week, make sure you do x by say Tuesday so that you don't compromise y and z. Pushing back deadlines on x will risk doing so. It's quite simple. If you know that you must do z, y and z, there are no two ways about it. You can't say you didn't have time to plan once you have come to the realisation that you must do all.

But realistic expectations work both ways. If the workload is heavy, then everyone has a role to play, to chip and try to help one another. If someone offers and you know this will help, take it. If you see someone with a heavier workload than yours, offer to help.

Second, plan. I cannot underscore the importance of planning out your tasks and processes more, especially when one requires another to be completed first. If you know that you must do x so that after x is done, x feeds into y, then do x early. Even if this means that Z is also urgent, but you know that Z and y have to be completed by end of week, clearly, x takes priority then.

Third, ensure that you give agencies, bosses, subordinates enough time for reaction. Prime them early on what follow-ups or inputs they need to look at. Don't expect anyone to stay in front of the computer waiting for your email to come in if you haven't primed them. In the same vein, don't expect inputs to come in one day. You probably can't meet that sort of deadline if imposed on you, and really, it's not professionally polite.