10 Things I Know About ... Deadlines
Saia
10. THEY'RE NECESSARY.
Nothing motivates as well as a deadline. It injects structure into your job or your operation, helping you organize all you need to do.
9. THEY CAN BE HARD …
After years of working as a daily newspaper reporter, I know this all too well. Years later, I still need deadlines to get much of my work done.
8. … OR THEY CAN BE FLEXIBLE.
If you're not going to make a deadline, let the manager or customer know, let them know why, then tell them what new deadline you can absolutely, positively meet. And then, make it.
7. THEY BUILD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS.
If you tell a new client you'll have it done by a certain date, then you had better make that date, especially if time is of the essence and you're taking business away from a competitor.
6. UNDER-PROMISE, THEN OVER-DELIVER.
Tell the client you can get the job done and delivered in 14 days. When you've finished it in 10, you may very well have left a positive impression.
5. THEY HELP YOU FOCUS.
With a deadline staring at you, do what you can to eliminate distractions and get the job done.
4. PRIORITIZING WORK
Got too many deadlines to meet in a certain day? Organize that mental or written list by priorities, then perform the most important tasks. If you're going to miss a deadline, see No. 8 above.
3. CHUNK IT UP.
Working on a big project with a long deadline? Divide it into chunks, then set a deadline for completing each chunk.
2. SOMETIMES YOU NEED HELP.
If you absolutely have to make that deadline and you can't do it alone, ask someone for help (if your workplace allows it). Teammates should pull for each other amid the prospect of missing a deadline, which would otherwise reflect poorly on the group or company.
1. JUST DO IT.
Don't let a deadline paralyze you. If you run into a roadblock, ram right through it or go around it.
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