I'm talking a few e-mails flying in from our wonderful editor asking "Are you sending an article in?" I'm talking about writing an article after hours! So now here I am, on my deck enjoying a (cool) not-quite-summer breeze, wondering just how I ended up letting this article slip by.
Ahh, the art of procrastination – that's one thing that many people know well! "I'll do it tonight" turns into "I'll get up early tomorrow morning and do it," which turns into "I'll do it over the weekend." Finally, we end up staying at the office late, or at the kitchen table until 3 am, or flying through our notes on the way to a presentation – you get the idea.
I spoke to a few colleagues regarding this procrastination thing, and apparently I'm not the only one who has lateness issues. Now, to give myself some credit here, I do consider myself to be a fairly organized individual (perhaps if you saw my desk you may not agree, but it is organized to me!).
Generally speaking though, I meet my commitments, do things when I say I will, and (in a rather liberal sense of the word, I'll admit) get things done ahead of time. To put it simply, there are people who get to the airport an hour early and people who screech in at the last possible second. I get there an hour early.
However, occasionally there are things that slip through the cracks, and I'm sure that as you're reading this, you're likely agreeing. Have you ever missed out on a potentially lucrative job because you didn't get the quote to the client on time? As far as production goes, it's imperative in this business to get jobs done on time. Procrastinating on a client's job is simply unacceptable – yet I've had numerous new clients walk through our doors complaining that their last printer did not respect deadlines. I've also severed relations with suppliers who showed a consistent lack of respect for requirement dates.
So, what can we (myself included) do to cut back on missed deadlines? It seems to me that it's a question of time management. The number one thing that comes to mind for me (in my boss's voice nonetheless!) is "Write it down!"
To-do lists, production tables, agendas, day-timers – whatever works for you. Keeping a list and checking off goals as they're accomplished, helps us to organize our days. Keeping an agenda and making notes of special dates and timelines helps us to schedule things in advance. Ask yourself what works for you.
If you're a visual person, consider a desktop planner or a calendar that you can put up on the wall. If it's in your line of vision, you'll be more apt to remember to look at it. If you travel a lot, consider a small agenda that you can take with you – or if you're technically oriented, an electronic scheduler.
Good time management is another essential. Try writing down everything you do over the course of a day to see where your time is being lost. Are you a serial e-mail checker? Try to set certain times to check your mail, such as every hour on the hour (unless of course, you're waiting for something important!).
Do you start new projects before completing the old ones? Try to finish one thing before tackling another – it often only takes a few extra minutes! Are you a morning person or a night owl? If possible, try to work your schedule around your own internal clock – such as completing tedious tasks after hours, or getting up early to get a jumpstart on your day.
As far as clients go, always, always, respect the dates that you give your customers. If something will be late due to a problem out of your control, such as a paper order gone awry or a press problem, simply pick up the phone and let the customer know. They will be much happier to learn the day before that their job is running slightly behind schedule, than if you wait until the day it was supposed to be done to tell them that it's late.
Unfortunately, things do happen that are outside of our control. Look upon these as opportunities to show your client how much you care. Take control of the situation and do everything in your power to respect the deadline – and if this means using a different stock (with client's approval), offering alternative solutions (i.e. providing a partial order or using a different finishing method), staying after hours, or offering a discount, then so be it. Avoiding phone calls is never the right choice.
As for me, I'm going to make a conscious effort to plan my days every morning, make note of due dates and important events in my agenda, and try not to let anything slip through the cracks. I'll let you know how my efforts goÖand will have next month's article completed on time (I promise, Joe and Maureen!).
I would love to hear your thoughts on meeting deadlines and scheduling your time, as I will continue this subject in the coming months. Please e-mail me at jbrooks@derygroup.com
MPR Communication is a design and print company located in Lachine, Quebec. Jasmine Brooks is MPR's Project Coordinator.
E: jbrooks@mprcommunication.com