New assignment? 9 revealing questions before you say "yes"

Last year I helped staff close to 150 projects with writers from my team.

After countless conversations and emails with colleagues and clients requesting resources, here are my two main observations:

1. Everyone's project is very important to them.
2. Everyone wants to work the "best" people.

Helpful, huh? ??

I get it though. And it's really not a bad thing. A sign of a high-performing culture, if you will.

But the goal is to align the right person for the need. Or if you're fielding the request for yourself, you want to make sure the assignment is actually a good fit for you. ??

So how do you know? Take a look. ????

What to assess

Here's a rundown of criteria to consider. Note that if you're in high demand, can you do it and should you do it are very different considerations.

• Capacity: Will this project fit in with other commitments?
• Capability: Do I have the skills and experience to be successful on this project?
• Opportunity: Does this project offer anything attractive in terms of development and areas of interest?
• Opportunity cost: If I take this project, am I likely to miss out on another assignment that would make better use of my talent and time?

How to assess it

Dig, dig, dig until you have a firm grasp on the following.

1. What's the scope of the project?

An obvious place to start. What all does the project entail? Does it sound like something you want to work on?

Listen out for unfamiliar elements that might require a unique set of skills.

2. What's the budget?

If you're working with clients, the size of the budget can be an indicator of whether the project will be on your leadership team's radar. Higher profile = greater visibility for you.

If it's an internal project and hard dollars are being thrown at it, you can bet it's important.

3. What's the timing?

Immediately? Really? ?? When's the first real milestone? What's driving the timing? How long do you expect the project to last?

You need to know what you're signing up for, and how quickly the pace is expected to move.

4. What's the estimated time commitment?

Similar to the above, but slightly different. You want to know the total hours the job is expected to take for two reasons:

• You'll know when you're going over budget if you decide to take the project, and
• You can estimate the hours per week to know if you have enough time available to swing it.

5. What skills are needed?

*Be specific.* You know your field.

Others outside your area of expertise may paint things with broad brush strokes. It's up to you figure out what kind of writer, designer, programmer, or whatever.

You may find out you're over- or under- qualified, or that they're actually needing something different. Better to point this out now before the project ends up in crisis mode.

6. Who else is on the team?

Some people jive and bring out the best in each other. While others… don't. It's OK to ask who you'd be working with to help inform your decision.

7. Who did this role in the past?

If it's a repeatable or ongoing project, there might be someone already in the role that would be a good indicator of what they're looking to replace or improve.

8. Do you need the work?

Let's be honest. If you've got a lot of time on your hands, you'll be hard pressed to say "no" to any request.

On the flip side, if you're acceptably busy and productive without the project, you can afford to be a bit pickier.

9. Who's asking?

Sometimes the most important question is not about the assignment itself, but who is requesting you. If your boss's boss's boss is calling you, for example, you'll probably want to say "yes" to whatever it is.

So there you have it. A roadmap for approaching future requests with scrutiny and care. Good luck!