How to Push Through the Last Stages of a Project

When the final stages of a major project begin to come into view, all too often team members lag in energy. Sometimes meeting the deadline seems impossible, and sometimes individuals on the team just don't seem to care any longer. When the finish line is in sight but those final steps feel so difficult to take, use these tips to push through the final stages of your project.

Let Your Deadline Work for You

Working against a deadline can have a clarifying effect. All of a sudden your priorities become clear, and time wasters such as endless chains of email and office gossip simply have no place in life. Use your deadline to refocus on what's important for the completion of your project. Don't be intimidated by the deadline; view it as the finish line in a race. The deadline is the goal toward which you are racing, and the closer it gets, the more you have reason to be glad.

Do Some Zero-Based Scheduling

Set aside the project timeline you probably developed in the initial stages of your project. It is now irrelevant. Instead, start with your deadline and work backwards to reconfigure the tasks that still need to be done, creating a new timeline from scratch. Be realistic as you redesign your project schedule. Abandon any goals that cannot be achieved within the existing time frame, and reassign work if needed to make sure the top priorities are met. If you have already finished some pieces of the project, use extra time during this final stage to polish them until they sparkle. As your deadline approaches, stop every day or two to assess what has been accomplished, making further changes to the project timeline on an ongoing basis. Use the power of the checklist to cross off project tasks as they are completed so you and your team can watch the finish line approach.

Revisit Your Original Motivations

As you move into the final stages of your project, take a moment with your team to revisit why this project matters. Emotions and motivations may be lagging, especially if the project in question has been something of a marathon. Remind yourself and everyone else why this project is important. Perhaps it is key to retaining a new client, or maybe its completion will make a difference in the company's future. If you are able to, offer your team members specific incentives or bonuses, including financial incentives or time off, to encourage them to keep working hard through the difficult final stages and the last push to the finish line.

Working against a deadline is admittedly stressful. When your team has met an important deadline and finished a project, take time to acknowledge everyone's efforts and to celebrate the achievement together as a team. Doing so establishes a framework for the next time your team has to clear the decks and push through the final stages of yet another important project.

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