This happens all the time. I have a project that has a deadline. Let's take an example we're the project is to be completed by the end of this month. Yet my manager who has not gone to any of the meetings or enolved in the project likes to add to the project and expects it to be done while keeping the deadline. This has typically meant that I work on those items on my own time. How do I handle this? I'm working more than 40 hours a week and he know this yet it seems like it doesn't matter. Any suggestions?

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    Tell him to be more engaged frankly. He is a stakeholder too and therefore he needs to be involved all the meetings. As Project Manager, he is accountable for the whole project according to best practices. Request him kindly for the Scope & Schedule baseline of the project. If scope change because he added more items, then request an extension of the deadline. If he does not have skills, you make issue log and a change log. Measure the impacts and estimated time for the added items. That way you will be covered at some point. If no change from him over the time, then change job. – Maximus Decimus Aug 7 at 1:14
  • I’m not sure this is really a project management question. What is your role? What is the project framework? If this is really assigned tasks rather than a project in the.PM sense, it probably belongs on Workplace SE instead. – Todd A. Jacobs Aug 7 at 2:32
  • Thanks, Maximus. That's some good advice – adviner Aug 7 at 4:12
  • I know this is not a project management advice per se. But in general, never ever work extra hours unless not working turns into priority 1 incident or lost customer. So, major bug before release? Sure, work and fix and ensure that team knows that it is a one time thing. Unable to finish the work on time? Go home, finish it next day. Managers will be happy to pile up more work if you keep lapping it up. Don't do that to yourself. At worse, you will have to look for a new job, which won't be a problem considering even your manager understands your talent. – jitendragarg Aug 22 at 9:51

What you need to do is some Project Management.

Start with a Task List - a simple Excel Sheet will do. or use an online tracking system like Trello. You need a few columns:

  • Priority - a numbered list where the top item is always #1, the second #2, etc.
  • Task - a short description
  • Duration - how long it'll take. If you standardize to hours or days, you can total the column so you can see when the project will end. (Based on x hours/days per week, and some a formula).
  • For whom - who asked for it
  • Status - one of: not started, in progress, in testing. (You can add done and move those to a separate list or move them to the bottom)

Now, every time your boss asks you to add an item to the list, you ask him where to put it - before or after which item in the list, and inform him of the new deadline this causes.

treat it as a zero-sum game. IOW, you no longer work more than 40 hours per week, so something else will have to change; either remove an existing task or move the deadline.

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    Thats a gread idea. Thank you – adviner Aug 7 at 18:30

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