Number 62: July 28, 2004

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This week in Katydid:

• Open Ended Means Never Ending
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Open Ended Means Never Ending
On someone's wall somewhere in your building, possibly in shipping, perhaps in engineering, IT, or development is a cartoon of a person falling over him or herself with laughter; the caption reads, "You want it when?" Someone in marketing probably designed it.

I rarely hear a client say they have more than enough time to deliver a project. We'd all love to hear, "Take your time and do it right." And while it's true that at the end of each project, we can say truthfully, "If we had more time it would be better"; it is also true that if we had more time, we'd still be working on the project today.

I have a saying, "All deadlines are arbitrary, unrealistic, and necessary." In fact, in my consulting work, I won't take a project unless the client has a firm deadline. If the client does not have a firm goal, I will work out the time needed to finish the project and then have them schedule some event to coincide with the estimated completion. Deadlines build accountability into both sides of the relationship.

Whether you work outside or inside the company, this policy is worth your while. First, a deadline is a goal, something to strive toward with a reward built into the system. Second, a deadline is the first measure of success or failure. Third, a deadline is a motivator to both sides to fulfill their obligations.

Getting timely feedback is perhaps the most difficult part of any project. You can hold the deadline over the heads of the stakeholders to motivate them to provide feedback. It becomes part of the project plan, so you don't become a nag, pestering them for an answer. The deadline is your last failsafe to prevent roadblock, "I'll need your feedback by tomorrow if we're going to meet our deadline."

For the creative team, the deadline is the tiebreaker for competing priorities. Rarely does one team work on one project until completion, so they need project plans that consider all deadlines. Projects without deadlines will always slip in priority (no matter how conscientious the team) because we have a limited supply of time.

Have I made this mistake? Well, the policy exists for a good reason. In the past, I've taken projects without a firm deadline only to see them languish in production, usually waiting for client approval or feedback. Here's what happens:

The client (with the best of intentions) wants the project finished; but it's not a major priority because it does not connect to a business goal. Still, they want the project done right. (Often it's a pet project — a long-range goal). So, when it comes time for their feedback, they want to give the project their undivided attention. Because they are pulled constantly into more pressing (timely) concerns, they don't get to the feedback. After several attempts to follow up the client usually promises to look at the project over the weekend. The project moves along like this in fits and starts until one of three things happens: you finish the project (At last!), the client cancels the project (Oh, No!), or the client increases the priority of the project (Sigh).

Without a deadline, it is nearly impossible to provide the high standard of customer service you desire. You find yourself chasing a vanishing point of diminishing returns. When you finish that kind of project, the only emotional reward is relief. As a consultant, the last thing you want is the client to feel relieved that they're done with your work.

A deadline gives you a chance to impress them (often amaze them). Even if you have to renegotiate a deadline, it is often to meet a higher goal and to fulfill the client's needs. As a consultant, always avoid changing a deadline to meet your needs. Within the organization, the team may change the deadline only when a larger organizational priority demands it (at which point, they should hire a consultant to help them.)

Now, since all deadlines are arbitrary and unrealistic, how can you make sure you can deliver? The answer is that you need to manage scope carefully. When you have a deadline, you need to find the business need that drives the deadline. The organization may want to roll out a new initiative timed with an industry trade show. They may want collateral in place to coincide with a product launch. Work out what you can realistically deliver that meets the business requirement. You can usually find something you can achieve that will meet the first priority, and shift the remaining requirements to meet a later deadline.

With priorities connected to a business goal, the stakes become clear to everyone involved. It becomes easier to manage scope, and the deadline no longer is arbitrary, unrealistic, or unnecessary.

I first learned these lessons, not as a consultant, but within organizations. I learned to see the limitations placed on a project not as obstacles, but as spurs to creative solutions. I used to lament, "You want it when?" I learned to say, "What do want; when do you want it, and why?"

The team member that begins to think like a consultant demonstrates his or her business savvy, their loyalty, and their creativity. (It's also not a bad transition to a fun career.) Embrace the deadline because it's the only way to know you're done.

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Kind regards, 
Kevin Troy Darling

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