I once worked with a perfectionist.
He was known for doing amazing work
but he wouldn’t be rushed
and he wouldn’t submit his assigned part of a project
until it was exactly right.
How we managed him
was by only exposing him
to his small part of the project.
He didn’t see any of the other parts.
He didn’t see how his part fit into the whole project.
We assigned his task first
and then let him perform his magic.
“If a project is on a tight deadline
and there is no time for perfection,
delegate the work to others
or outsource it completely,
but don’t make the mistake
of asking a perfectionist to deliver something
that they consider to be less than perfect.
You can also split the project
between team members.
The perfectionist won’t be happy
about losing control over part of the project
but it’s better than the alternative.”
Perfectionists won’t be happy
unless they can complete their task perfectly.
Manage them with this in mind.