What to Do When You Need Faster Results at Work - The Muse

What to Do When You Need Faster Results at Work - The MuseWhat to Do When You Need Faster Results at Work Your deadlines one week away and theres no way youre going to hit your goal. And its all because the results you need arent in yet- because of a client, or delayed data, or your own timeline being unrealistic. Anyone whos ever been about to miss a target or goal knows how much it sucks to inch closer and closer to that deadline- knowing theyre going to fail at what they set out to do (or more realistically what their boss asked them to do). Before you panic, walk yourself through the following steps 1. Determine How Much of the Stress Is Coming From You- and How Much Is Coming From Your BossYoure an incredibly motivated professional- and if I were to take a guess, there are times when you put a lot of pressure on yourself. When that happens, self-imposed deadlines start appearing on your to-do list, even though your manager has a much different idea in mind. Take a deep breath an d figure out where this deadline pressures coming from. If its self-imposed, Im going to suggest something radical Give yourself a break. The only person whos bearing down on you is, well, you. So if there isnt a hard deadline, dont feel the need to add extra pressure to your own to-do list.But if you have a target from your company or your boss to hit, things arent quite as simple. Thats not to say youre not working hard, but it does indicate that you need to continue reading2. Figure Out if There Are Any Changes You Can MakeIll be honest. Sometimes I think Im trying everything possible to get the results I need- only to realize that I keep relying on the same tactics, with slightly different spins. Sound familiar? Thats why its important to take a minute to re-evaluate your methods and figure out if you can do things a little differently. Maybe you need to re-organize your to-do list for this project (or if youre completely disorganized, maybe its time to get organized, period). M aybe theres a knowledge gap you didnt know you have and you need to take a step back. Maybe you need to ask for help. Whatever the case may be for you, be honest with yourself about how you can shift gears in reservierung to get what you need. 3. Communicate Whats Going on to Everyone InvolvedThis part is often one of the most difficult for self-starters like you. Not only is it important to figure out what needs to change for your sake, but you also need to get everyone else it affects up to speed.Call a meeting (or send an email) to the appropriate people and give them a status update. But wait- dont approach this as a plea for an extension or additional help. Bring your adjusted timeline, and if relevant, proposed solutions as well. Not only does it make it much easier for everyone else to chime in with suggestions, but it also shows them that even though you feel that youre behind, youre doing everything in your power to catch up as quickly as possible. At some point, everyone f aces the challenge of fighting through obstacles to hit a goal. Even though youre good at your job, youll likely find yourself struggling to figure out why your progress has stalled. While you might not be seeing results as quickly as you (or your boss) would have liked, you can still totally rebound.