I’m motivated by deadlines.
As many people are.
When I add a project to my to-do list,
I also put a deadline beside it.
It may be a deadline I decided upon,
a self-inflicted deadline.
It doesn’t matter who gives me the deadline.
If I put a deadline on a project,
I’m much more likely to complete it.
Terry Starbucker outlines
what makes a great deadline.
“The business world has lots of deadlines,
and for the leader,
the biggest challenge is
how to choreograph them
in a way that maximizes productivity.
There are deadlines
that you don’t control,
of course,
but there are plenty more that you do.
And the timing and substance
of those controllable deadlines is critical.
If the deadline has an overly aggressive goal
and the timing is too “tight”,
you could create a failure and morale killer
that wasn’t necessary.
If it has a “slam dunk” goal
and is stretched out at a leisurely pace,
it can create a false sense of security
and can lead to complacency.
And much like the college professor
who had the threat of a failing grade
to motivate me to action,
leaders need to back their deadlines up
with clear consequences.”
Consider using deadlines as a motivator.