If you look at projects that are taking place you can often find that stages within the project stall, causing delay for the remainder of the project. In many cases this is not because the work is too hard or requires more time, it is because it is perceived to be too hard or too long. This perception leads to stalling and then a self fulfilling prophecy about the particular task(s) being too hard or too long. Preparation can often be the catalyst as it can help to change people’s perspective.
At a basic level it can be used to help people understand exactly how they are going to do the task and get clear on exactly how difficult or time consuming it really is. Clearly identifying the tasks and getting a proper grasp of what needs to happen usually helps things to get started. By doing the preparatory work the task itself will have begun. The realisation that the work is not as difficult as originally thought coupled with the fact that the task has already begun creates a momentum effect. It becomes very easy to carry on with a task once we have mentally prepared ourselves for the work.
Also, when we have prepared the work, and we now know what shape and size it is, it becomes a lot easier to schedule it into our diaries. Just by doing this step alone helps to get the work completed and project schedules to be adhered to.
When you find projects and tasks stalling it is certainly worth spending some time looking at how work is prepared within your organisation. If you find that preparation is very last minute, or doesn’t take place at all then please consider revising your approach to preparation. It will probably save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.
Smartspeed Consulting Limited