1. Identify the best part of the day when team is most productive, team is at its best. Take the activities from the list that are at top priority.
2. Be goal specific, set the target for the team for a day or a week.
3. Be flexible, delegate work when necessary to others in the team. You are not required to finish all tasks in one go.
4. Do not let the team get distracted.
5. Ensure you have all resources, and requirements are clear to the team. Do reward and congratulate team on small achievements.
6. Do not exaggerate, if something do not go well as per plan; assess and re-evaluate goals and target. Saving Changes...
Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
What is the root cause of procrastination? Often it is because the person doesn't really want to do the task. Sometimes the person assigned the task does not feel confident in their abilities to complete the task. Maybe some coaching will help. Maybe the task should be reassigned.
I am not sure if procrastination can be eliminated, but it can be mitigated to lessen the impact. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
As Dinah says, the answer depends on the reason for the procrastination. There are so many reasons a person might procrastinate that no one solution can address them all. Saving Changes...
Farouq ZaababResearcher, Coach, Trainer, Consultant| FreelancerSohar, Oman
I think this answer can apply to both individuals and teams.
We generally procrastinate when we don't see the immediate value of the task to be performed. It looms large and becomes that monster task that you can't really do at the moment. Why? we have things that are easier and more rewarding at the moment (you know monkey wants banana, monkey eats banana!). Here are a few steps to get out of procrastination mode:
1- Tune in the WIIFM. This means that you should set up the time to answer the question what's in it for me? write down the answer because it helps you see the ROI of the task very clearly, and increases the chance that you will follow through.
2- Eat your elephant one bite at a time. You can't do the whole task at once, so break it down to its constituent parts. Then, forget about all the parts except for the first 5 minutes of work. Do them! The point here is that you should lower the barrier to entry as much as possible. The brain doesn't like complexity, but once you break things down into simple chunks, it is highly likely you will get them done. Saving Changes...
