Comments on: Leverage Time Pressure by Setting a Due Date – Tip #17 http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/ Goal Setting and Productivity for People Who Like Technology Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:23:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Matthew Cornell http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/comment-page-1/#comment-26635 Matthew Cornell Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:17:58 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/#comment-26635 Thanks for the tip, Brad. I agree that it's a personal preference, but a nice tool. It's a helpful variation on Parkinson's law. Thanks for the tip, Brad. I agree that it’s a personal preference, but a nice tool. It’s a helpful variation on Parkinson’s law.

]]> By: Ludwig Schubert http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/comment-page-1/#comment-26620 Ludwig Schubert Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:37:24 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/#comment-26620 Brad, the idea of deadlines is good! The problem with them is that when you only set them for you, nobody gets angry at you or anything. I have often set deadlines for school projects (like: complete this by the end of summer vacation), but since nobody but me cared I quietly shifted the date backwards further and further. I think for deadlines to really work you need an audience that keeps track of them. (Like your boss or client) But I don't want to spam my friends with my personal goals now, do I? yours, Ludwig Brad, the idea of deadlines is good!
The problem with them is that when you only set them for you, nobody gets angry at you or anything.
I have often set deadlines for school projects (like: complete this by the end of summer vacation), but since nobody but me cared I quietly shifted the date backwards further and further.

I think for deadlines to really work you need an audience that keeps track of them. (Like your boss or client)

But I don’t want to spam my friends with my personal goals now, do I?

yours,
Ludwig

]]> By: Brad Isaac http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/comment-page-1/#comment-26616 Brad Isaac Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:07:19 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/#comment-26616 Neil, You make a lot of good points, keeping the number of tasks low is a great suggestion. But I have to say that I disagree about time pressure. Setting a goal with an ink and paper deadline makes it more real. You start to think of how you are going to make it happen. And you picture yourself come June, or July xx having succeeded. In the workplace, projects with due dates get done - maybe faster, maybe with less attention to detail - but done. I'd say the same is true with goals and steps. Put a date on it and it gets done too. Neil,

You make a lot of good points, keeping the number of tasks low is a great suggestion.

But I have to say that I disagree about time pressure. Setting a goal with an ink and paper deadline makes it more real. You start to think of how you are going to make it happen. And you picture yourself come June, or July xx having succeeded.

In the workplace, projects with due dates get done – maybe faster, maybe with less attention to detail – but done. I’d say the same is true with goals and steps. Put a date on it and it gets done too.

]]> By: Neil Wilson http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/comment-page-1/#comment-26613 Neil Wilson Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:08:04 +0000 http://persistenceunlimited.com/2008/01/leverage-time-pressure-by-setting-a-due-date-tip-17/#comment-26613 I think this depends upon the individual's personality. Time dependent goals have a flip-side. In a busy schedule they rarely get done *early*, and the prioritisation of goals doesn't change flexibly. Whatever is scheduled to be completed to get done today gets done, whether that is still a good idea or not. Plus, as mentioned in Peopleware many years ago, people under time pressure don't work better they just work faster. Rather than time goals I prefer volume goals - keep the number of outstanding tasks under X. You can still fiddle that but at least the prioritisation is dynamic and stuff can get done early. I think this depends upon the individual’s personality.

Time dependent goals have a flip-side. In a busy schedule they rarely get done *early*, and the prioritisation of goals doesn’t change flexibly. Whatever is scheduled to be completed to get done today gets done, whether that is still a good idea or not.

Plus, as mentioned in Peopleware many years ago, people under time pressure don’t work better they just work faster.

Rather than time goals I prefer volume goals – keep the number of outstanding tasks under X. You can still fiddle that but at least the prioritisation is dynamic and stuff can get done early.

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