How being over ambitious can impact our success

Posted by: Krishna De | Posted on: August 29th, 2006 | 0 Comments | Posted in: Uncategorized

In our Biz Growth Academy programme, my clients complete a weekly review where we track progress, success, break throughs and they also have the opportunity to ask me for advice.

One of my clients asked for advice on the following:

“I still have the sensation of having too much on and not getting through the project work fast enough – the knock on of this is slower invoicing (which causes me financial (cashflow) angst i.e. paradox – too much work yet not enough money fast enough) and holding back on following up leads and contacts.

It is not the act of invoicing itself that is the issue - the real problem is not getting to the milestones of the project on time because I am doing too many things. If I don’t make the milestones on time this means that I CANNOT invoice.”

Do you dfind yourself with this problem?  Here is my response to my client.

“Sometimes when we are working with clients we are over ambitious in terms of what we can deliver. 

The time to undertake a piece of work is often underestimated.

I recall an example for a significant change programme I was leading.

We believed that we would be able to achieve the work by a certain date, when we mapped out what would really be required it was going to take 360 people days to complete it (not taking into account any allowances for problems) rather than the 270 days we had originally estimated. 

As we develop proposals we need to make sure that we are not being over ambitious and can deliver what we promise as that clearly affects or ability to bill and the credibility we have with our clients – delivering what we promise is critical. In other words, being honest with ourselves on the time each step of the project will take is the key.”

Are you honest with yourself on the time it will take you to complete work?

My guess is that many of us underestimate time – and remember that hour, minute or second is with us only once.  I know it’s one of my challenges.