In an agency setting, the ability to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing the quality of work is a must. Though projects with quick production schedules may add pressure to a consistently heavy workload, willingness to stay flexible, open-minded and responsive to all client requests and needs can go a long way in gaining trust and strengthening credibility. In managing a project with short turnaround time, it is crucial that all contributing team members stay organized and maintain clear communication. With multiple team members handling different project tasks, miscommunication can result in missed deadlines. By missing just one deadline, the risk of delaying the original timeline and project end date greatly increases. To avoid hitting unnecessary roadblocks, here are a few tips to consider when beginning a project with tight deadlines: Review timeline Review timeline with all contributing team members as well as the client. The timeline should illustrate each task involved in the project, the responsible party and a completion date for each deliverable. If the timeline doesn’t feel realistic for both parties, consider negotiating alternative end dates or breaking the project into phases. Assign projects to the right team members Some people thrive under pressure and others find it extremely challenging. Choose a project team that can balance a growing workload well and won’t become overwhelmed quickly by a close end date. Meetings Production meetings or weekly check-ins with the project contributors are crucial. With an aggressive deadline it’s important to understand how each phase is progressing. Due to unforeseen and uncontrollable factors that may arise, it’s important to be prepared and in the know throughout the life of a project, especially when time is an issue. Despite what hurdles may or may not come, the keys to meeting deadlines on time are consistent organization, flexibility and awareness.