Minimize Mistakes of Others When They’re Working on Your Projects

Is everyone as busy as you are? You can count on it. As
a result, they’re likely to make mistakes, omissions
and other foul-ups, even when they’re working on your
projects. When you’re responsible for results, the
errors of others can damage your reputation, cut into
profits, alienate a client or even cost you your job.

by Jeffrey Moses

Assume that all the people taking part in your project
will be so busy with other aspects of their work and
private lives that mistakes will occur at every step of
the way. The two operative words in the last sentence
are "will occur." Note that it did not say: "may
occur." In fact, you can count on mistakes being made.
The only means you have to avoid or minimize these are
to adhere to the following throughout the project:

* Before a project begins, meet with every person
involved, both as a group and individually, to set
guidelines for exactly what needs to be accomplished
and by when. These guidelines should be drawn up in
writing and agreed upon by each person. The guidelines
should contain: deadlines for various stages of the
project, the ultimate deadline, specific goals of the
project (i.e., what determines a successful
conclusion), overall finances and times of payout for
ongoing expenses, responsibilities of each individual
and each team, etc. The more specific you are when
writing these guidelines, the better.

* If one or more teams will be working on your
project, it’s best that one person on each team be
responsible for all other workers. This person should
coordinate the work of others based on the written
guidelines drawn up before work commences.

* When the project is underway, you need to
establish and follow an ongoing system that enables you
to check and double-check on each person’s progress.
Never assume that work will be done on time — or even
done at all! If you wait until the last minute to check
on an important cost estimate or blueprint, for
instance, you may be let down and have to go to an
important meeting without the information you need.
Instead, write down for yourself a detailed timeline of
when things need to be completed. Use this to check
days or weeks in advance to make sure that everyone is
aware of upcoming deadlines and will have their work
completed in time.

* Then — and this is a key point — use your
timeline to double-check with the individuals involved
to make sure they’re on schedule. Do not assume after
the first time you check with them that they will
continue to work full speed on your project. With the
stresses involved in life today, both on the job and
off, a person may be pulled away from the project at
hand and not even bother to tell you about it. To avoid
this, contact the person a second time, perhaps several
days after your first contact, to double-check
progress. This second check-up should be timed so that
people can correct mistakes, or get back to work on the
project, without delay to the overall schedule.

When one of your projects goes wrong because someone
else made a mistake, you may be held accountable even
though you seemingly did everything right. Don’t be
afraid of irritating others by being persistent. When
you contact people, whether to check or double-check on
their progress, remain calm, be professional and
remember that it’s your project you’re talking about.
Use your written timeline to give everyone enough
notice to correct mistakes or to get back to work, and
you will have done all you can to assure success.

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