Ending the “Side of the Desk” Syndrome

One cause of project failure can be found on desks in offices everywhere:  “Side of the Desk Syndrome.”  This strikes when team members juggle tasks for different projects, especially for projects that are “add ons” to a regular workload.

The result:  The extra projects are shoved to the side of the desk, and tackled in spare moments. The tasks are deprived of the kind of focus that gives good results, or left untouched until “crisis mode.”

Luckily, there are some remedies:

-A simple, repeatable and proven methodology that can be learned in two or three days.

-A scheduling system that frees teams to tackle tasks on a schedule based on their own time estimates and with their full commitment.

-A proven cure for procrastination that empowers team members without micromanagement.

“Side of the Desk Syndrome,” while not life-threatening, is part of a serious business problem.  One 2012 study reported that the average large IT project runs 45 percent over budget and 7 percent over time, but delivers 56 percent less value than predicted. Cumulatively the study estimated that cost overruns for large IT projects ran to about $66 billion – enough to fund about 91 more missions to Pluto.