Here's how you can effectively handle and prioritize deadlines in your career.

Urgency is best assessed based on what is at stake. Evaluate the urgency based on a combination of timelines + Financial Impact + Risk + The Outreach or impact this would have on a larger group or the enterprise. Share your assessments with your stakeholders to gain concurrence. This will ensure the quality is not compromised.

In my experience, I have learned that to meet deadline. Simply, keep in your mind that after this task there will be free time and ease. Like when one time I was developing a plan of a new town. I thought I won't been able to make it but after thinking and taking the above approach I have done it.

To assess urgency and effectively handle deadlines in your career, start by categorizing tasks based on importance and time sensitivity. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to classify tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Evaluate the potential impact of each task's completion or delay. Set clear deadlines and milestones, and regularly review your priorities. Communicate with stakeholders to confirm urgency and align on expectations. This structured approach ensures you focus on high-impact tasks and manage your time efficiently.

Strategic planning and organization are necessary for managing and prioritizing deadlines. List all of the tasks and due dates first, then use a prioritization technique like the Eisenhower Matrix to group them according to significance and urgency. Divide more complex projects into smaller, more doable jobs, and establish interim due dates. To monitor progress, make use of tools like calendars, to-do lists, and project management software. Be proactive in informing stakeholders about schedules and any anticipated delays. Review frequently and revise priorities as necessary. You can effectively manage your workload and fulfill deadlines by remaining focused, organized, and flexible.

Assessing urgency can be done in this way: -Urgent and important- top of list of priorities -Important but not urgent- middle of list of priorities not important and not urgent-bottom of priority list Prioritizing in this way will not only increase productivity levels but it will also significantly reduce stress levels.

Forecasting is an essential trait while working on critical deadlines. Breaking down the various tasks and having a vision into how these might be achieved over the span of few days and weeks will help one in not feeling overwhelmed and also being in control of the task at hand. Regularly checking in on the task list and keeping an eye on what has been achieved vs what needs to be achieved will also help one feel more confident at meeting the deadline. As an example - The first thing I do as soon as I log in for the day is check my task list / to do list. It calms me down in knowing the things that are lined up for me for the day.

Use techniques like a gantt chart or a burn down chart to plan activities and associated dependencies. Let parties you are dependent on and stakeholders know in advance about the requirements and the implications of delays.

When breaking down projects into smaller tasks, it's crucial to identify dependencies and potential bottlenecks. This proactive approach helps mitigate risks and ensure that tasks are completed efficiently. Additionally, leveraging agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban can provide a structured framework for effective planning and progress tracking.

Working on the calendars definitely helps plan strategically. Weekly updates on the tasks / projects with the next agenda, always keeps spirit high in the teams. This is my personal experience. Lastly, my favourite, maintaining consistency in the process not only helps in planning but also in achieving the outcome.

Start by creating a detailed schedule with all upcoming tasks and deadlines. Break projects into smaller, manageable tasks with specific milestones. Use tools like calendars and project management software to track progress. Prioritize tasks based on importance and deadlines, and allocate time blocks for focused work. Regularly review and adjust your plan to accommodate changes. Communicate with stakeholders to ensure alignment and anticipate potential obstacles.

Publish a calendar of pre-defined events, this would be as effective as your planning itself. So if you have planned well applying foresight then publish a calendar to relevant parties listing the requirements and timelines. Keep stakeholders informed as well.

If the deadline is unrealistic or if unforeseen challenges arise, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Collaborating with others can often lead to more efficient solutions.

Effective communication extends beyond informing stakeholders about potential delays. It's essential to establish clear channels for regular updates and status reports. This transparency fosters trust and collaboration, enabling teams to collectively find solutions and overcome challenges. From product marketing experience: Early communication is the key to managing expectations and minimising last-minute firefighting. I make it a practice to share draft messaging, positioning, and campaign plans with stakeholders well in advance. This allows for valuable feedback and course corrections, ensuring that our final deliverables are well-aligned and impactful.

ALWAYS manage expectation. Effective communication is only effective if it is sincere. The one piece of advice I always reiterate in every Management role I have ever held is "never over promise and under-deliver". Effective communication is only effective if it adds value. Act early, communicate clearly and even if the answer is no, manage that expectation up front and with integrity. I have always found thorough, fast and honest communication will always be appreciated, even if it's not always the answer people want to hear.

Keeping everyone informed certainly helps. I strongly believe that the message should be shared and 'received' at the same time. Only then it is defined as an effective communication. Communicating early also shows the proactiveness to bring out a solution.

One option on prioritizing tasks is to identity all the tasks and categories them using the Eisenhower Matrix. This divides tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. Focus on completing tasks in the first quadrant first, as they have the highest impact. Delegate or defer less critical tasks, and eliminate those that do not contribute to your goals. Regularly reassess priorities to adapt to changing circumstances and maintain productivity.

Prioritization should be gauged not just on what is convenient for you but what matters most for the company. For e.g you may be working on a big project with a lot at stake however if there is a challenge around regulations which is under your purview that may have to take precedence. So prioritize based on what matters to the company and stakeholders more than yourself.

I use my action tracker to keep focused on my priorities. I update it daily. It's similar to a Gantt Chart, but it's my own version. I have different color schemes for different priorities, drop down selections that allow me to chose the priorities and color coded bars that correspond to the current status of the project. It's really easy to manage, and because of the way I have it set up, it's easy to follow. I'm a visual "check in the box" task oriented professional and this helps me stay on task. It doesn't matter the scale or the scope, every thing gets loaded onto the tracker.

High, medium or Low priority depends on the delivery of tasks. It is a wider spectrum. What needs to be delivered urgently is always considered on high priority. This is interlinked to assess urgency. Drafting to-do list priority wise could help in making things simpler.

If you have your hands full and are running against tight timelines, it is best to avoid smaller distractions and address those by seeking help from others. Distractions could pose a risk to your quality and timelines which will not just impact you but also the larger enterprise objectives.

One technique I've found helpful is to block dedicated focus time on my calendar, free from meetings or interruptions. During these sessions, I dive deep into critical tasks like messaging frameworks, competitive analyses, or campaign planning. This focused approach ensures that I deliver high-quality work that resonates with our target audience and drives business objectives.

Continuous learning and adapting to evolving market trends are essential for a product marketing manager. I make it a point to regularly attend industry events, webinars, and networking sessions to stay up-to-date with the latest marketing strategies, customer preferences, and best practices. This knowledge helps me refine our approach, experiment with new tactics, and ultimately, deliver more effective marketing campaigns that drive customer engagement and product adoption.

Always control the controllables ad don't allow macro factors to take all of your attention if you can't affect them. Over the last few years we have had pandemics, Brexit, wars, cost of living, social transformation (WFH, AI etc) along with political and legislative changes. All of these are massive events that will affect every business. You can negate some of the effects but you you can't change macro events and changes. Spend some time adapting what you can, but don't spend time trying to change the things that are out of your control. You have a million things you can control - but it's easy to focus on those you can't as they often seem so much bigger. Focus on what you can affect and control the controllables.

External considerations should not be ignored. Things at the macro level, competitor approach, immigration changes, plays a huge role in global projects. Mobility and business agility are crucial in the new era.