Planner Productivity: Complex Task Management

Last week we discussed the benefits of planning your work which can be found here for anyone who missed it.

This week I am going to discuss the method which I use for more complex tasks such as Project management. 
When I start a more complex task the first thing I do is to make a checklist of everything I need to do.
Once I have done that I go through the list and give everything a priority or mark it down into a sequence. 

After that I add timescales. I do this by looking at my overall deadline and assigning smaller deadlines to the individual tasks.

The next part of my process is to check resources. I like to ensure that everything I need is available and if I need assistance it is available and I’ve given notice of my request.

The one thing that is probably the most important thing is to allow some wiggle room and to have a contingency plan as sometimes no matter how much we plan, things can go wrong or get delayed. This could be on your part or someone else’s. 

I always add a few days throughout my timescale to allow for set backs, If I am relying on someone else I always have someone readily available for back up, or an alternative way to resolve the problem. It always helps to have a think at the start about any potential problems.

Once I have planned for all of the above I get started.

I hope this helps you plan for any complex tasks. If you have a different method I would love to hear it.

Next week we will look at Effective Working Methods. 

Thanks for reading. 

The Stationery Geekette x

Previous posts in the series;

Planner Productivity: Prioritising Your Tasks 

Planning Productivity: Benefits To Planning Your Work