The benefit of working on projects in incremental stages
Whenever I’ve worked on large projects, I’ve always approached them in increments. Some people will wait until the last minute to get big projects done, but the pressure in those situations can really sink a project. Last week I was putting together the webinar that I’m offering this week on social media, and one of the biggest advantages of working on it incrementally was that I could gradually put it together at a slower, but more methodical pace.
When people work on projects at the last minute, they may claim that the pressure helps them work better, but what the real issue is, is that they likely aren’t really organized in their thinking about the project. They wait until the last minute to force them to get organized, but that pressure can ultimately result in projects that are put together haphazardly, without any real clarity in the message or expression of the concept. Trying to work on a project straight through can be exhaustive and ultimately waste a lot more time and energy.
An incremental approach to projects tends to be an organized approach. It break the project down into manageable chunks that can be worked on and developed fully, before moving onto the next chunk. An incremental process can be as simple as setting a goal of putting together two pages of a presentation, or as complex as writing a chapter of a book.
It can be useful to create an outline with deadlines associated with each increment, or you can take my own approach and simply decide to do a specific amount of work on a given project and then stop after that goal has been reached.
Another benefit is that taking some time away from a project can give you a different perspective on it, allow you to see some weaknesses in it that you might otherwise miss, and also let you come back to it with a renewed focus on getting the project done.
Take time to work on your business projects incrementally. It will help you organize what you are doing in your mind, as well as on paper. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel will also boost your confidence and self-esteem and not put you in a state of feeling overwhelmed by what you think you need to do.
Categories: business
Tags: organization, working on projects incrementally
