Typical meetings tend to go like this:
Person A: [Something, something, something]
Person B: [Something else, something else, something else]
Person A: [Something more, something more, something more]
Person B: “Okay, let’s do this!”
In the more organized versions, the “let’s do this” contains specific details. In particular: someone who will take on a responsibility, and a list of actions. Usually the lower-level person in the meeting. “Okay, Jake, you should do X, Y, and Z, and let me know how it goes.”
But one key component that’s often missing is deadlines.
They’re often missing on purpose because the boss always feels like an asshole to enforce deadlines on everyone for every little thing. “You’ll write up that note and have it to me within 11 minutes, right?” No boss wants to be That Person who Talks Like That.
But imposing deadlines is deeply useful for a few reasons:
- They make it more likely the thing will actually happen.
- They clarify that everyone is working at the same timescale and same rhythm. In other words, if you delivered work a day or two after a deadline, or perhaps a week or two, that would be a fine is planned in advance. However, if one person thinks it should be done by next week and the other person by next quarter, then there will be some rude surprises for someone, somewhere, at some point.
- Similarly, they clarify the prioritization.
- They allow for the other stakeholders to plan their next steps of what they’ll do upon receiving your part.
These aren’t possible without explicitly discussing deadlines.
So, these are usually done for big things… but not small ones (see the “no one wants to be That Guy” reason above.) But these benefits are just as valid and just as strong for even the smaller stuff.
So, what’s the solution? Be that guy to yourself. Assign deadlines to yourself, for everything—and share them.
Just think about who you’d work with. Jim who says, “Okay, I’m on the design” or Jones, who says, “Okay, I’m on the design, and I’ll make sure you have it by the end of the day tomorrow.” Always the latter, ceteris paribus.
This, however, is much harder said than done, for most. Why? Precisely because of the heart of the benefit, it creates deep accountability. If you said you have to do it by 6:50pm, you’re psychologically incentivized to make sure it does happen then. And everyone likes to have flexibility.
There is no way around this other than two: practicing and starting with the Big Deadlines. If you start with the important ones, then over time it becomes second nature to start doing it with the mid-level importance ones. And the minor items? I’ll confess: I don’t even do those. No one, alas, is perfect.
