Setting goals involves having an end date, but deadlines could be killing your business.
While deadlines can help motivate employees to complete their work within a given timeframe, research shows that there are a number of downfalls to setting strict deadlines.
Consider the following:
Creativity
Deadlines have been proven to hinder an individual’s creativity and the likelihood they will take positive risks. Deadlines can cause narrow-mindedness which can be detrimental to your business, particularly if the deadline is set around design and marketing strategies.
Pressure
When people feel pressure to complete a task within a number of days or hours, the quality of their work may decrease because of the stress they feel. While stress can work in an individual’s favour, too much stress can be counterproductive and can actually hinder progress and quality.
Rushing
Deadlines mean a lot of work can get jam-packed into a tight time frame, however, the quality of the work may be compromised. Employees are more likely to rush when they have an impending deadline, do less research and take on more stress. Instead, consider setting a soft deadline, particularly for work that requires creativity, innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
