1. When there is more to do than time available to do it in

Stop and think – it’s easy to panic and launch ourselves at the task without considering the most sensible course of action. A few moments reflecting and planning will more than pay off.

Break the situation into manageable chunks. The whole task looks more and more terrifying, whereas the smaller steps are easier to digest.

2. Delegate

There will be those around us who may be able to help and offer their expertise – take it.

3. Manage expectations

It may be necessary to explain to others that the end result could be different from what they expected. Better to bite the bullet earlier and enlist help than give people a nasty surprise when you are beyond the point of no return.

4. Consider urgency and importance

The danger is we rush around doing the urgent things and never have time for the important ones. If something is both urgent and important then act. If not, prioritise.

• Focus on getting some quick results as this will give you momentum.
  
• Develop a contingency plan – even in the most difficult situations there are other options.
  
• Go for the 80/20 rule. Build the stadium without the roof, write the report without the annotated footnotes.
  
• Having decided where your focus should lie, don’t worry about the things that you are not going to achieve. Put your energies into completing everything else to a high standard.

5. Create clear communication channels in the team

If everybody is aware of what is happening, less time is spent on fruitless communication or unproductive action. Maybe even a ‘war room’ where people know action is happening.

6. Communicate to interested parties

It's better to be leading the communication of a crisis than having to respond to someone else’s interpretations.

• Remember that this too will pass. Life is bigger than a wobbly project.

7. Learn from the situation for next time

Patterns can turn into habits. If we are aware of what lead to the situation we can catch it before it happens again.