Christmas is motivation for procrastinators. The goal of showing love makes this deadline matter.
Deadlines don’t matter until goals have meaning.
Urgency is a function of caring. When you own goals they create focus, decisiveness, and action.
7 Reasons People Miss Deadlines
- Unrealistic expectations.
- Poor time management.
- No consequences. (Missing deadlines didn’t matter in the past.)
- No reason. Goals are not tied to mission or vision.
- Lack of confidence. (Fear of failure.)
- Perfectionism. If it can’t be done perfectly it won’t get done at all.
- Long timelines. (Deliverables are distant.)
Healthy Urgency
Deadlines done poorly de-motive.
10 Questions to Establish and Evaluate Urgency
- What makes this goal matter to our customers?
- What happens if we do nothing?
- How will this make a difference?
- What does the path to success look like?
- What will you stop doing so you can focus?
- How will you know you’re behind?
- What are some short-term milestones?
- What’s the first step?
- Who will help?
- How certain are you that you will meet this deadline?
John Kotter taught that healthy urgency mobilizes energy. Artificial urgency manipulates with fear.
What strategies do you use to motivate people who miss deadlines?
What questions can you add to the “healthy urgency list”?
The Urgency Illusion: Are You Running Around with Your Hair on Fire? Here’s Why!
