Why Deadlines Work
When I was a student at b-school, we had an assessment that was fondly called “WAC”—a Written Assessment of a Case.
Every term, we would be assigned a case study related to finance, economics or anything related to business. We would need to write a report of 2,500 words, complete with appendices (not included in the word count).
The report would need to be original and have a viewpoint that is one’s own. The central premise would need to be supported by research, so we need an extensive bibliography. We had to ensure we were not plagiarising, as the university did not tolerate plagiarism.
We had to work in our study groups (6 students in each group) and get a consensus on a group viewpoint, as the appendices had to include contributions from each group member.
The case study would also need to be discussed in the class (60 members), and the perspectives arising from the discussion would also need to be featured in the report.
So, we had to come up with an original viewpoint, a group viewpoint, and a class viewpoint on a topic we had been introduced to just a week before.
Sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it?
Wait, that was not it. All this had to be done in 24 hours. The case study would be handed to us on Friday, 1:00 PM afternoon, and it had to be submitted by Saturday 1:00 PM.
Neatly printed, punched, filed and submitted in the office before the deadline.
When this was first explained to us during our orientation, I was aghast. There was no way I was going to assimilate and understand a topic in a week, analyse an entire case study, understand the key themes, do my research, come up with an original opinion, and work with a group and an entire class in 24 hours!
I was convinced that this was impossible. However, my seniors convinced me that this tradition has continued for decades, and the rite of WAC passage is very doable.
When our first WACs came, I was surprised that I turned in my work 8 hours before the deadline and could even catch up on sleep. Almost every student turned their WACs in.
However, a similar assignment with a 6-week deadline would invariably have the students begging the professors for an extension. The submission compliance rate for a 6-week project was abysmal, but it was more than 90% for a WAC.
It was the same format, similar work, and exact process, but it provided different results. The WAC made us focus on what is important, and we had to let go of perfection to get the work done.
The 6-week deadline had us all squabbling over minor issues. This led to procrastination and analysis paralysis.
This 6-week deadline’s output was no better than the WAC output and, in some cases, shoddier.
So, what best explains this paradox?
Two mental models can be used to explain these seemingly paradoxical behaviours.
Parkinson’s Law
Work expands to fill time.
Give yourself 24 hours, and the work will take 24 hours. Give the work six weeks, and it will take six weeks.
Planning Fallacy
People constantly underestimate the time it takes to get a task done.
We overestimate our productivity in the long term and underestimate it in the short term.
A distant deadline is a recipe for planning fallacy, while a tight deadline forces us to prioritise and focus.
This is why most of us think we work well under pressure and need “challenges” or “deadlines” to deliver, focus, and get work done.
But in the long term, this chase of deadlines leads to chronic stress. Constantly being chased by tight deadlines, firefighting can be exhausting.
This is also why when we have deadlines in the distant future, we are plagued by procrastination and find it hard to get work done in advance.
How do Parkinson’s Law and The Planning Fallacy show up in your work life? What behaviour patterns are causing burnout and stress for you?
P.S. If you are ready to level up, work with me for 1:1 career coaching. Hit reply, and I’d love to share more.
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