What is a deadline? Deadline: what does it mean and how to comply with it? Deadline and its functions

Organizational behavior expert Richard Boyatzis believes that the more stress a deadline causes, the less open a person is to finding ways to solve problems. Therefore, in those moments when the company expects us to think outside the box, we find ourselves unable to offer even standard ideas and methods.

However, one should not conclude from this that a deadline is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, if you really want to learn how to deal with situations like this, there are a few things you need to consider.

• Extreme time pressure deprives us of adequacy.

Great ideas don't necessarily come to us on schedule, so you can't expect your team to come up with, say, an amazing marketing campaign in two hours. Teresa Amabile, a professor at Harvard Business School, keeps thousands of work diary entries over many years and analyzes people's mood, quality of work and other factors. And here’s what she noticed: despite the fact that under the pressure of deadlines people demonstrate low creativity in their results, they themselves believe that these days they have a surge of creative energy.

In short, you may think that deadlines spark creativity in you, but they don't.

• To some extent, a deadline helps us focus.

When you're not under pressure from a deadline, your brain is constantly looking for new ideas, which can be good for creativity. But then you will see that some of these ideas are irrelevant.

Deadlines allow you to put things in order. For example, psychologically you agree with yourself that you will not worry about the fact that, say, your laptop may need to be replaced, Richard Boyatzis gives an example. Because you are focused only on this problem - and in this case, the deadline helps to place emphasis.

• Creativity isn't the only thing that matters.

There is a big gap between “deadlines blocking creativity” and “meeting deadlines” because the best is the enemy of the good. If you're a sports reporter covering a baseball game, your readers care most about who won and how the winning team performed, and they want to know this information as quickly as possible. Just remember that not every result requires a creative gift.

• Self-set deadlines are much better.

By setting your own deadline for completing something, you can accomplish two things. You'll be focused enough to get the job done without being under too much external pressure—which makes it easier to stay open to new ideas.

• Mini-deadlines are stronger than “big” deadlines.

If you are working on a large project, then by setting intermediate deadlines, you can create a motivating environment for a sense of progress, movement towards the final goal. To visualize the process, create detailed spreadsheets and record in them the stages of work on the project, those responsible and their results.

Mini-deadlines allow you to use room for maneuver, even if the large project as a whole does not allow for such maneuvers.

• Some people are more deadline-oriented than others.

Experienced managers know that different people respond to different incentives. Much in this case is determined by the specifics of the profession. If the reporter's work is related to daily news, then he will strictly adhere to deadlines. Moreover, he does not have to be highly motivated - he already knows what to do and when.

Others, on the contrary, require additional control. That doesn't mean they're bad workers, just that they're different people, warns Richard Boyatzis. After all, good management is built primarily on getting to know the people you work with, and deadlines are used as one of the tools for completing work on time.

7 rules for never missing deadlines

Taking into account all of the above, it should still be recognized that failure to meet deadlines greatly damages professional reputation and causes inconvenience to colleagues. Therefore, it is important to look for ways to combat this bad habit.

1. Accept that you can't do everything at once.

This is where you actually need to start working on yourself. Often highly professional people think that they are capable of doing more than they have time for. This ultimately leads to them not meeting deadlines.

2. Calculate in advance how much time it will take to complete a task.

Underestimating this factor is very harmful - you may simply overestimate your abilities. Start tracking your time: pay attention to how much time it actually takes to complete certain tasks. Compare the result obtained with the deadline that you initially set. Once you see the time difference, make adjustments where necessary and start working according to realistic deadlines.

3. Try to honestly deal with the personal reasons for missing deadlines.

If the problem of not meeting deadlines has become chronic, then it is imperative to understand its causes. In fact, there may be several explanations for what is happening:

• You deny the existence of the problem itself.
• You're too busy.
• You are trying to meet deadlines that are unrealistic.
• You are easily distracted.
• You are breaking your promise.

Once you answer the “why” question, you can understand the “how” to solve the problem.

4. Establish a personal dependency on deadlines.

Ph.D. and clinical psychologist Steve Levinson argues that the habit of missing deadlines is cultivated by the lack of consequences. The way to solve this problem is to take intentional and specific actions so that you actually feel obligated to meet your deadlines.

5. Start working on the project as soon as you receive it.

It is better to take on a task on the same day you receive it. No need to delay. Do the important prep work: do background research if necessary, prepare a folder with the necessary files, collect notes, discuss project ideas, carefully study the details of the assignment. There is no need to try to embrace the immensity on the first day, just lay the foundation for future work with simple steps.

Do small tasks at once. If someone sends you an email that requires a short response, respond to it immediately. What takes five minutes, don’t stretch it out over a day. Free up time for more serious projects.

6. Fool yourself with other deadlines.

Many experts advise setting “personal deadlines” that are several days ahead of the date someone else sets for you. This is a great way to build in some “spring” if circumstances turn out to mean that the project will take longer than you expected.

Deadlines should be viewed as an internal rather than an external motivator. Why is it important? Because psychologically, we stop relying on other people to set time limits. As a result, we begin to do what we must do at the right time for us.

In addition, external motivators can always be justified (“this deadline is actually not that important,” “no one will notice a two-day delay”). But intrinsic motivators don't have qualifiers - we set them ourselves, and we decided that we would do it, regardless of the deadlines that other people gave us.

7. Provide yourself with a useful set of tools.

Luckily, we live in a world that offers hundreds of tools to help us manage our time. You can start with at least the most accessible ones - for example, use a calendar in Gmail or Yandex, setting up reminders there for meetings, calls and upcoming events. You can manage task flows using the Trello program. We recently wrote about, which also helps you effectively manage your time and wisely distribute tasks into urgent and secondary ones.

Your personal toolkit will be formed gradually, and it will, of course, be unique. The main thing is to remember about the possibilities of optimizing processes and do not forget to use those simple tools that make life easier and allow you to free up time.

0 The term "Deadline" was borrowed from the English language "Deadline" and is translated as "Dead Line". Indicates the last day of something, the deadline for a project. I would like to recommend you a few more interesting articles on Internet topics, for example, what does Cap mean, who is called Kudere, what does the abbreviation QQALL mean, what is Crypt, etc.

Example:

The boss said that the commission was coming the day after tomorrow, and tomorrow was the deadline for the entire department.

You can also give an example: you are going to go to the seaside on a bus and must arrive at the bus station by eight in the morning, otherwise the transport will leave without you. And if you didn’t have time, then you don’t have to rush anymore, the deadline has passed.

Deadline- this is the approved, final deadline for the completion of the project or the final time when the work (action) must be completed, otherwise after the line is passed, everything will lose its meaning

Often a situation arises when there are only a couple of days left before all the work is due, and 80 percent of the work is not completed. Then the boss begins to rush the people, promises bonuses and other benefits, because if they do not make it on time, then an unenviable future awaits them all in the form of astronomical fines, and troubles will not keep themselves waiting. Therefore, all employees literally spend all day and night before acceptance, trying to complete the work before the Deadline. Any person who has been involved in the creation of various projects knows this situation very well. If you tell him that someone at the company has a deadline, he will only nod his head in understanding.

Profit the deadline- means submitting the work later than the deadline, in fact, as almost always happens

In addition, if everyone is working under time pressure and people begin to understand that they will definitely not be on time, then there is a high probability that the work will be abandoned, since there is no point in working anymore, because it is simply not possible to meet the deadline. And in the opposite situation, when there is a lot of time left until the end of the project, no one is in a hurry,” because we still have time". And so you get a situation where only twenty percent is done, and the Deadline is already knocking on your door.

Hello, dear readers! Welcome to the blog!

Deadline - what does it mean? Previously, this word could only be heard at work, but now it is increasingly used outside of work. What exactly does the word deadline mean? How to translate? How to use it correctly? You will find out in this short article.

Deadline - translation?

Word Deadline comes from English Deadline, which literally translates as “ dead" + "line », that is « absolutely, tightly" + "line, border".

From such a categorical combination of two words, it becomes clear that we are talking about the very « deadline » , O « extreme limit » , O « dead line » , beyond which you cannot go.

Deadline - what is it, the meaning of the word?

Deadline is the most extreme date (usually the date) for the completion of any one task or an entire project..

Experts in the field of effective management note that in those companies where it is customary to set and control intermediate and final deadlines, employees work more productively.

In what areas is the term Deadline used?

• In advertising A limited offer period is often used. This encourages the client to make a purchasing decision faster. Advertisers call this offer: an offer with a deadline.
• In the field of project management Deadline is perhaps the most popular word, because projects usually have an implementation plan that the entire team follows. This plan includes Deadlines for both intermediate tasks and the final Deadline for delivery of the project to the Customer (for example, development and delivery of software to the Customer).
• From journalists The deadline is usually periodic. For example, every Monday a journalist must submit material (an article) for publication.
• In business Deadlines can be urgent or gradual. An urgent Deadline often involves double payment to company employees, as it is due to the fact that the order must be completed as quickly as possible. A phased Deadline involves breaking down a large task into subtasks. Management controls the implementation of intermediate tasks.
• In sports There are also deadlines, for example, the deadline by which a player can transfer to another football team.
• We can say that the term Deadline is absolutely applicable to all areas of activity. When we compose ours, we also indicate deadlines. And if a goal does not have a deadline, then it is not a goal, but a dream.

If a goal does not have a deadline (=deadline), then it is not a goal, but a dream

Examples of using the term Deadline in everyday life.

• Sorry, I won’t be able to go to football with you today, I have to finish my diploma. Tomorrow is the deadline...
• I’m afraid I’ll be left without a fee, because I’ve missed the deadline for submitting a series of articles...
• Our boss gives us absolutely unrealistic deadlines...

I recommend reading Tom DeMarco's novel Deadline »

This is a novel about project management. If you want to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of project management, want to understand what it means from the inside to work on large projects, in IT companies, if you dream of working as a project manager or business analyst, or are already working in this field, be sure to read this novel.

I myself worked on large projects and I can say that the author managed to convey the atmosphere of the project very realistically, atmosphere of life in a state of constant Deadlines!

The book can be read online for free. Here is the link: Tom DeMarco “Deadline novel about project management” free download >>>

You can quickly familiarize yourself with the book directly in the article:

Summary

I hope the article “Deadline - what does it mean?” turned out to be useful for you. You can use the term Deadline to emphasize your erudition.

I wish everyone easy deadlines in the implementation of ideas and projects!

Read the blog to find out how to change your life for the better!

Finally, I suggest you watch this useful video on how to wisely spend time with maximum benefit, and how not to waste time:

Many people know firsthand what a deadline is. In most cases, this concept is encountered at work or during training. Setting deadlines for completing something in modern language sounds like setting a deadline, for violation of which, depending on the conditions, penalties may be imposed.

Deadline - what is it?

People often wonder - what does a deadline mean? This is a term that means a deadline for something to be completed. Borrowed from English - the word deadline is translated as “dead line” or “limit”. It can be represented as time or date. A similar concept is used at work, during training, when submitting any documents, or, for example, abstracts for participation in a conference. This introduction of deadlines disciplines people and allows them to draw up a work schedule.

Hard deadline - what is it?

Missing a deadline can have adverse consequences. Which ones depend on the field of activity for which the deadlines have been set. The concept of deadline can be divided into two categories:

1. Soft- when, by agreement with the customer or management, some deviations from the established agreement are possible, for example, the accrual of a smaller bonus or number of points.
2. Hard- in which violation of established deadlines is unacceptable.

Deadline and its functions

It is important to note that the concept of a deadline affects a person’s psychological state. The closer the report date, the more intense the brain work begins. Modern author T. Ferris called this feature Parkinson’s law - as the time to do something decreases, the efficiency of the work process increases. This is the law of deadlines.

The main function of such practice is to comply with the production plan, increase a person’s performance, and save his own time, health and nerve cells. There are many examples when meeting deadlines benefits both the contractor and the customer. This functions in economic activity and in the educational process.

Deadline and procrastination

Under any circumstances, it is important to adhere to the deadline. For people who suffer from procrastination - a tendency to procrastinate and put off doing any task, no matter whether urgent or not, this is not typical. This psychological diagnosis can cover all areas of a person’s life, which leads to adverse consequences. Setting strict time intervals with punishment for violating them can be a good motivation for people with. The reasons for this tendency may be the following:

• low self-esteem;
• enjoying the process, focusing on it, not on the result;
• the desire to prove something more with words than with deeds;
• the desire for perfectionism, or, conversely, for self-restraint.

Deadline and redline

Some people still know what a deadline means, but there is a less common term - redline. It denotes a certain intermediate point in time before the deadline, upon reaching which it is possible to give a fair assessment of the already prepared results. In a way, this is a simulation of the final period with an interval to correct existing shortcomings.

This practice is sometimes used when writing a thesis. For example, intermediate intervals are indicated for writing individual chapters or calculations, and the deadline in this case is several days before the defense of the thesis. Upon delivery of goods, there is a reserve of time for checking and completing the order. Redline is the date of receipt of the goods from the warehouse, and deadline is the date of delivery to the customer.

Deadline - what to do?

To complete a specific task - not to miss a deadline at work, you can use some recommendations:

1. All dates should be marked on the calendar.
2. You need to set limited periods, not giving yourself time for extraneous things.
3. You shouldn't do several things at the same time.
4. You can break the final deadline into subtotals.
5. When performing a task, you should not be distracted by external stimuli.
6. If there is an opportunity to complete the work today, it is better to do it - tomorrow another task may appear.
7. You can think about studying in the free time that will remain after completing the work in the prescribed period.

Everyone decides for themselves what a deadline is, when and at what pace to complete everything. Some people are good at several things at once, while others cannot concentrate on one thing. Setting a deadline is one of the ways to discipline a person and streamline the production process, and few would say that this is not required in the modern rhythm of life.

What is Deadline

Deadline is a term borrowed from English that means the last line of completion of any work or task. The word Deadline in most cases is used in relation to that work or task that involves clear and established delivery lines. Literally translated from English, the term “DEADLINE” means: “ dead line", or " extreme line», « deadline», « deadline», « limit», « The Last Frontier».

DEADLINE what does this mean in simple words - definition.

In simple words, Deadline is a short period of time before handing over the work to the customer. It is worth noting that the deadline date is often set several days or weeks earlier than the actual deadline for completing the work. This is done so that performers who may not have worked very hard on the project or did not pay due attention to the established deadlines can gather strength and complete the work.

Quite often, it is during the deadline that various tests, checks and “polishing” of the project are carried out. Thus, the performers leave themselves a certain amount of time for various improvements, corrections and elimination of defects.

In addition, setting a deadline helps improve employee productivity. So to speak, this is a kind of incentive - not to relax, the deadline is approaching. According to some psychologists, workers who regularly work in a planned format with set dates show better results due to more efficient brain function.

Based on the above, we can conclude that the term “Deadline” can be used in two versions:

• Conditional Deadline- This is an artificially established deadline for the actual delivery of the work.
• Real Deadline– this is the real and final deadline for submitting the work, which cannot be extended or delayed.

The word DEADLINE, examples of use.

Real deadline.

Quite often this term is commonly used in journalism. The editor gives the journalist the task of writing an article on a certain topic. The deadline in this case will be, for example, the day before the release of the newspaper issue in which this article will be published.

In speech it might sound something like this:

— Marina, help me with this interview.

- I'm sorry I can not. I have a DEADLINE and still need to make a few edits.