In most cases, I feel that it's critical to meet the project's goals by the deadline. Especially in larger organizations, where other departmental progress may be contingent on the project timeline of another department. While working for a non-profit in Boston, the organization established goals that each team was expected to satisfy by the end of the year. What was most important about this goal-setting process was that the goals were realistic and by extension achievable. The organization did not establish timelines or goals that would necessitate team members to work 80+ hrs/week, which is unrealistic given that there are always delays and external factors that can impact a person's ability to work. While this may not be the most "productive" way to set goals because there are some people who want to work those longer hours and setting a lower standard may stagnate productivity. However, what seemed to be even more important than meeting those goals was informing key investors that those goals were met. Even if there is slightly less productivity, those investors/philanthropists want to hear that their money is going to good use. Hearing this positive outcome probably enticed them to invest again as well. All in all, it's important to set high standards but they must be realistic and achievable for everyone in the team.
Additionally, I was also involved in creating a GANTT chart for a small biologic startup. While these GANTT charts are more of a formality for the investors so that they have an idea of the project timeline, in my case, it seemed that everyone understood that the GANTT chart was just a rough timeline. We established team meetings biweekly and at the end of each research stage to ensure the project was adhering to the projected timeline as best as possible. So, I think a similar lesson can be learned here too; the project timeline should allow for flexibility/delays because this is part of the normal development & commercialization process.
As a PhD student, one of my biggest challenges is running experiments, especially when using a new protocol. I can never be 100% sure that I will get accurate and correct results before my deadline. Even with a detailed project plan, if something goes wrong in the experiment, I may not be able to meet the deadline. I am concerned that if I am just a part of a larger project and cannot reach the desired results within the deadline, it may have an impact on the rest of the project. How can I prevent this issue and ensure that I have a plan in place for monitoring and making timely adjustments?
