Unlimited Jargon

Deadline culture

As a student, I can inform you that we live in a world of deadlines. There is no respite. Virtually every single area of life has a deadline from your interactions with the government to returning library books. Yet if you look at society, deadlines are responsible for much of the pressure and stress, depression and misery. Higher targets, lower expenses, closer deadlines: these are all factors which worry people.

However who really benefits from deadlines? I can't think of a single person. All it means is we end up having to work faster. Sometimes this is a good thing, but often deadlines are excuses to not do a great job. Whilst they might have a short term motivational impact for some, long term they are counter productive.

Sadly however there are few alternatives, but I certainly think that if you are in a position of determining or enforcing a deadline, consider the above carefully.

Labels: My philosophy

posted by Caesar on Wednesday, November 15, 2006