There always seems to be one project that keeps getting pushed down the list. You know it needs doing and may even have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. But the day-to-day running of the business takes priority and, before you know it, another month has passed. It might be improving a business process, dealing with an HR issue, organising an office move, implementing a new system, reviewing procedures or finally getting that long-overdue project underway.
The longer you leave it, the harder it can feel to get started. So, what is stopping you from getting it done? There are five common reasons why important projects and tasks don’t move forward. Here are some practical ways to overcome them.
You Haven’t Made It a Priority
Some projects are important, but they aren’t urgent. That makes them very easy to put off. The day-to-day demands of running a business naturally take priority. You have customers to look after, decisions to make, staff issues to deal with and problems to resolve. Before long, the project that could make a real difference remains on the list.
Top tip: Be clear about what you want the project to achieve and why it matters to the business. Set a realistic deadline and identify the first few actions needed to get it moving. You don’t have to complete the whole project at once — you just need to create some momentum.
If you continually move the project to the bottom of the list, ask yourself what will happen if you don’t do it? Sometimes understanding the impact of leaving something unfinished is enough to make it a genuine priority.
You’re Putting Off the Difficult Parts
Sometimes a project doesn’t move forward because there is a particular part of it that you don’t want to deal with. It might be a difficult HR issue, a challenging conversation or a decision you’ve been avoiding. It could be a supplier problem or a piece of work that you simply don’t feel confident tackling yourself.
It’s easy to keep working on the parts of a project that feel comfortable while avoiding the difficult bit. Unfortunately, that can leave the whole project stuck.
Top tip: identify what is actually holding the project back. If you need to have a difficult conversation or make a decision, deal with it rather than working around it. If you don’t have the knowledge or experience you need, consider whether bringing in the right support could help you move forward.
Sometimes getting past one difficult issue is all it takes to get the rest of the project moving again.
You Haven’t Defined the Project Clearly
A project can feel overwhelming when the end goal is clear but the steps needed to get there aren’t. “We need to improve our processes” or “We need to move office” might be the objective, but without breaking it down into what needs to happen, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Take some time to define what you want to achieve and what needs to happen. Identify who needs to be involved and set the key milestones or deadlines. Break the project into manageable stages. This makes it easier to see the way forward and identify potential issues before they become problems.
Top tip: start with the outcome you want to achieve and work backwards. Identify the key stages, actions and decisions needed to get there, rather than trying to tackle the whole project at once.
A clear plan doesn’t have to be complicated. It simply needs to give everyone involved a shared understanding of what needs to happen and when.
Sometimes a project isn’t difficult — it just hasn’t been broken down into manageable steps.
You Don’t Have the Capacity to Deliver It
Even when you have clearly defined a project and everyone understands what needs to happen, finding the time to deliver it can be another matter. The day-to-day demands of running a business don’t stop simply because you have a new project to work on.
Projects can quickly become difficult to deliver alongside an already full workload. This is particularly true when you need to coordinate people, gather information, manage deadlines and deal with unexpected issues.
Top tip: be realistic about the capacity available to deliver the project. Consider what you can delegate, what additional resource you might need and whether you can realistically deliver the project alongside your existing responsibilities.
Sometimes the project isn’t being delayed because it isn’t important. There simply isn’t enough capacity to give it the attention it needs.
You Need Someone to Drive It Forward
Sometimes a project doesn’t need more ideas — it needs someone to take responsibility for moving it forward. This might mean coordinating people, tracking actions and deadlines, gathering information, arranging meetings or managing the detail. It could simply mean making sure the project doesn’t keep slipping down the list.
Bringing in additional support can give a project the focus and momentum it needs, particularly when it sits alongside the day-to-day running of the business. The right support can work alongside you and your existing resources, taking responsibility for the practical delivery while keeping you involved in the decisions that need your input.
Top tip: if a project has been sitting on the back burner for longer than it should, ask yourself whether you need to do it yourself — or whether you simply need someone to help get it done.
Sometimes the best way to get a project moving is to have someone take responsibility for making it happen.
Get Your Project Moving
If there’s a project that has been sitting on the back burner, perhaps it’s time to stop putting it off and start moving it forward.
You don’t always need another employee to get an important project delivered. Sometimes you need the right expertise, experience and capacity to take responsibility for the delivery and keep things moving.
Oreo PA provides flexible project management and operational support to business owners, executives and leadership teams, helping turn plans into action and helping ensure important projects get done.
If there’s a project you’ve been putting off, get in touch to see how I can help.
