Deadlines - we need them but we often don't meet them.
Journalist Christopher Cox explores the human tendency to be overly optimistic about timeframes in his new book The Deadline Effect.
Photo: Tim Gouw / Unsplash
The key is working successfully to a deadline is to make it work for you rather than paralyse you, he tells Jesse Mulligan.
The 'deadline effect' of the book's title reflects our human tendency to leave everything until the last minute, Cox says.
“If there's a negotiation, it tends to drag out until the 11th hour and you know, there's all sorts of reasons you don't want that to happen.
“You tend to make rushed decisions and if it's a project that project tends to be poorly put together.”
Many projects run off the tracks due to something called 'planning fallacy' which was first identified back in the 1970s by economists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman.
Essentially, it's our tendency to be overly optimistic about timeframes and costings, Cox says.
“The classic example is maybe the Sydney Opera House, which originally was supposed to be built in six years and had a budget of $7 million and by the time it was done took 16 years and cost $102 million - on both counts [the planners] were way too optimistic about that project.”
In The Deadline Effect, Cox explores how different industries harness the power of the deadline.
One group of businesses that simply cannot miss a deadline are the West Coast family farms that produce all of the Easter lilies sold in North America.
“One thing about Easter lilies is they're essentially worthless the day after Easter. They're produced for that holiday. So if they miss their deadline, all of their work is for nought.”
Christopher Cox, author of The Deadline Effect Photo: supplied
The key to realistic planning is to look at similar projects you've done previously and see how long they took, Cox says.
The aerospace company Airbus overcomes 'planning fallacy' by working backwards from a deadline.
“They can't really afford on a multi-million-dollar project [of] building an aeroplane to blow their deadlines. So they first set the date that they're going to deliver an aeroplane to a buyer.
“Then they work backwards from that deadline to block out time until they arrive at where they are. And that sort of backwards planning is basically a way to think about how long a project took in a similar situation and use that to plan effectively.”
Concrete deadlines are essential for the success of any project, he says.
“The worst deadline you can possibly set for yourself is as soon as possible. Without that concrete due date [and] due time, projects tend to sort of spill over and fill up as much time as you're willing to give [them].”
When setting a deadline yourself, make it as early as possible and as tight as possible, Cox says.
“The first part is set a deadline that's concrete and the second part is push it up as tight as possible.
“Basically, you'll eliminate that part of the process that might otherwise be tied up with procrastination and worry and anxiety and just get down to work.
“And once you're working and in a creative, productive mood, you'll be happier.”
Christopher Cox is the former chief editor of Harper’s Magazine.
