Proposals tend to be submitted last minute.
For many, it often feels like you only have just enough time to respond and submit. If you have felt that way, you’re not alone. In the 1950s, Northcote Parkinson came up with the famous ‘Parkinson’s law’ which stated that “work expands to fill the time available for completion.” We obsess over the small details rather than focus on the full strategy to maximize time and resources.
Deadlines vary for every proposal based on the requirement and the customer. For example, proposals that respond to federal bids have longer timelines, while commercial bids generally open and close within 1-3 weeks or as little as 24 hours.
Proposals take great effort in short time periods, so one of the most important strategies to use is collaboration. Collaboration ensures that you maximize timelines and that work does not suddenly pile up as the deadline draws closer.
Even if the deadline is far off, you still need to rely on excellent collaboration and keep record of collaborative outcomes.
Collaboration and communication work together. Conflicts are commonplace at work, and effective communication and collaboration is the only way to maneuver back to productivity and a healthy work environment. Imagine having a proposal deadline and two of your proposal team members decide to exchange unpleasantries via email thread. Yet another distraction reduces time.