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Expert Answers to Biz Questions Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz. The Biz Question Six Tips to Stay on Schedule When Your Project Hits a Road Block Answer from our Guest Expert Kandace Heller Successful and timely completion of a project is important regardless of what industry you may find yourself in. Unfortunately, even the most carefully planned of project timelines can end up getting thrown off track due to any number of factors. When you hit a roadblock with your project, it is important that you know how to keep calm and come up with a viable game plan to stay on schedule.   Brainstorm with Others Often times, one of the best ways to work around road blocks is to start by collaborating with others. Get together with a group of your employees to brainstorm creative ideas for overcoming the problem, regardless of what it may be. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to get things moving again. Experiment with different ideas that are offered up until you find one that works for you.   Hire Additional Help In some cases, a lack of staffing may be what is holding you back from getting your project completed on time. In such situations, it may be necessary to hire outside help. Consider looking into contractor services in your area to get the additional manpower you need to get the job done. Even temporary employees might solve your problem.   Rent Equipment Another common road block you may run into is that of equipment failure. In such cases, you simply may not have the time to buy new equipment and still get the project completed on time. Heavy equipment takes a lot of time and money to order. Instead, you may want to look into equipment rental services in the meantime. This will help you get back to work right away while you wait for your order to come through or while you are gathering finances to replace the equipment.   Pay Workers Overtime It may be the case that your employees simply do not have the time to complete the project during their regular work hours. If this turns out to be the case, analyze the company's budget and determine whether or not it is feasible to pay the workers overtime to get the job done on schedule. Be sure to speak with the workers to ensure that they are willing to do this. You'll need to weigh the pros and cons of having your workers do overtime. It may be a better choice to hire additional help.   Priorities and Negotiate There is only so much you can do to keep your project on schedule. Sometimes, it may be necessary to lower your expectations and negotiate with others to prioritize parts of the projects and negotiate a later date for completion of the remainder. Of course we want to do all we can to finish our projects on time and meet the deadline, but if that is just not possible, you'll need to admit that so that your client knows what is going on.   Exercise Strong Supervision More than likely, your workers are already giving their all to ensure that the project gets done on time. To increase productivity, however, you may want to consider supervising them more closely and offering incentives for getting the work done efficiently.   Hitting roadblocks while taking on any project can be a pain, but there are steps you can take to overcome any obstacle. From there, you can take it as a lesson learned and an opportunity for growth. Have a biz question of your own? 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