We’re always working to deadlines. Live dates, air dates, delivery dates… it’s rare that we don’t have a “drop-dead date” we’re striving to meet.
Did you know that the term “deadline” originated from a literal, physical line? In the American Civil War, prisoners were forced to remain within the confines of an actual line (often a fence). Cross the line, and chances are they were shot.
Understandably, even though the term has long since evolved, it still carries a sense of finality and consequence if the line is crossed.
Seriously though, this can’t be the best way to do great work. Driven by fear, we do what’s required to fit the timeframe without ‘getting shot,’ rather than striving for the very best work. It means minimising risks, not taking them. It prioritises delivery over creativity, process over ideas, and targets the timeline rather than the bottom line.
Ask any creative, and they’ll tell you that the most valuable thing they could ask for is time. Simply put, the longer they have, the better the work will be. Yes, we can do the job in a week, but then you get the best they can do in a week – not the best they can do. It’s a large part of the reason why there’s so much mediocre work out there these days.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting we fail to deliver in a timely fashion. But have you noticed how timelines (and budgets, for that matter) are shrinking? We’re briefed later, feedback is later, changes are later – even on or after the live date.
So here’s a radical idea: why don’t we reframe our thinking so that instead of focusing on the risks of missing a deadline, we focus on the rewards of achieving our goals?
Interrogate the timeframe. Many agencies fear suggesting they can’t deliver, but is it even a real deadline? Will someone get shot if the date is pushed back? Often, deadlines are fabricated to fit in with other activities, such as the CMO’s vacation.
Focus on ‘what’ rather than ‘when.’ Are you working on the right things? Instead of asking how to get everything done by a set date, question what you can do brilliantly in the same timeframe. Maybe it’s less, but better.
Change the mindset, from deadlines to target dates. The former is a non-negotiable, scary date after which you ‘drop dead.’ The latter is a motivating objective that you can rally people behind—not out of fear of failure, but out of a collective desire to win.
One last thought. Imagine what would happen if everyone was empowered to move the timeline?
Tom Peters, the American business writer, once described the difference between US and Japanese production lines. In the US, a production line would be run at a pace to ensure everyone on the line could keep up. No individual could slow the line, so it effectively ran at the speed of the slowest.
Japanese production lines, on the other hand, gave every individual the power to stop the line at any time. This personal responsibility was a great motivator – workers would do whatever it took to avoid being the one to hit the button. Japanese production lines were always faster, with fewer quality issues.
I wonder if this principle could help achieve similar results in our world?
