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Hi Reader,

Did you know there’s a style of managing projects out there that’s basically “by the seat of your pants”?

Officially, it’s called Just-In-Time project management, or JIT, which originated in the construction industry. You’re constantly on the move, creating deliverables as they pop up, often before you even knew they existed.

Some people would say this is just how we manage projects these days. Others might argue it’s basically agile in action. Others just call it plain old chaos.

Whatever your take, sometimes I've needed to manage projects in this very hands-on, improvisational style, and I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping everything from crashing down around me.

For the record, this is all about keeping your pants on. Pants off is a topic I covered in more detail in a previous article called Problem Solving Without Pants.

Unclear deliverables

Just-in-time project management is all about doing the right thing at the right time. You use resources only when they’re needed and cut anything that doesn’t move the project forward. It works best on smaller projects with few dependencies, keeping things lean and under control.

Lately, though, I’ve been managing a lot of projects by the seat of my pants because the world is changing so fast that predictable progress is almost impossible. Our constantly changing world means our projects have unclear deliverables. And JIT works perfect for deliverables that are unclear. Flexibility is how you keep the project moving forward.

Too often, we waste time on processes and deliverables nobody really needs. Do you think stakeholders care about how it was done? Nope.

Stakeholders only care about the results.

Not for the faint-hearted

Managing projects by the seat of your pants isn’t for everyone. It’s messy, unpredictable, and full of surprises. But when you do it right, everything keeps moving, stakeholders get what they need, and somehow you survive.

Here's a few tips for keeping your projects on track, even when you’re managing by the seat of your pants:

1. Don’t start what you can’t finish. Jumping into every shiny task creates clutter, stress, and chaos. Stick to what you can actually see through.
2. Deliver smaller chunks more often. Big deliverables hide problems and kill momentum. Bite-sized pieces get feedback fast and keep things moving.
3. Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking can feel productive, but it mostly just spins your wheels. Finish one task before starting the next, and your brain will thank you.

So the next time someone says “just take care of it,” remember: keeping your pants on isn’t just optional, but instead it’s the secret skill that makes chaos look effortless.

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