• Leadership: Deadlines #1
Leadership Issues This is new series of articles on leadership in Children’s Ministry. We will be opening a dialogue about issues in leadership that could impact your leadership style.
#1. Deadlines: They Causes One to Prioritize There is really no way around it, if you have a deadline, it tends to help you choose what is important and what is not so urgent. You have to cut through the possibilities to do what is possible, whatever the time will allow. (see Coach’s Conundrum #2 “Work expands to fill the time allowed”)
So what will help you sort things out? Making a list, delegating non-essential things that do not contribute to the task, or how about talking about what needs to be done to meet the deadline? Learning how to do this kind of problem solving is a skill. Remember, we talk about breaking the big job down into more manageable parts, not waiting too long to start? Not be able to do this kind of assignment makes one a procrastinator or just late.
Managers sometimes use deadlines as an assessment tool for competency or even justification for promotion or a raise. Can you rise to the occasion or do you just get buried with deadlines? It could be that the deadline is unrealistic and cannot be done. On the other hand, the deadline might demonstrate your incredible ability and get you some well-needed appreciation for a job well done.
One thing is certain, this administrative principle is true, deadlines do help shape our priorities. Deadlines become a leadership issue when things fail to get done on time.
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