The word deadline was originated from a phrase used in prison camps during the Civil War; which meant that if you crossed the marked line in the sand, you were dead. Missing a deadline in the corporate world may not lead to your physical demise, as it did in earlier days, but it could be the catalyst that kills your career.
My appreciation for meeting perpetual deadlines began long ago when studying journalism at ASU. As one who was always accustomed to depending on himself to get the job done, I learned that to be successful, I now needed others to cooperate. For example, if my article on the Phoenix Police Department was going to print in the next two hours and the lieutenant never returned my calls to validate my statements or provide a much needed quote, I would likely fail to deliver on my commitment. For this reason, journalists work on six or more articles at a time to better ensure that one will be complete prior to the rapidly approaching deadlines.
Failure to meet a deadline is never an option.
In the restaurant and bar business, grand openings (often catering to VIP crowds) are announced weeks in advance, and yet I never attended one where there wasn't wet paint on the walls or some type of maintenance taking place right up until the moment before the doors opened. If you have ever watched the program Restaurant Impossible, you'll know exactly what I mean. With a budget of $10,000 and 48 hours to deliver, Chef Robert Irvine and team completely renovate a failing restaurant with the goal of bringing it to profitability.
Most importantly, I believe that Chef Irvine emphasizes the epitome of being a great leader; the act of getting people to willing follow.
Television drama aside, I am astonished by what Irvine's focused team pulls off in the very short period of time. His approach and management style are mechanical. He is an expert at developing a plan, simplifying and communicating/teaching it, driving accountability, and leading each project to a successful close, while never letting obstacles get in the way of meeting the nearly impossible deadline.
It's astonishing to see what people can pull off when they all share the same vision, commit to the greater whole of a team, and dedicate themselves to delivering on the deadline.
When you lead your first few projects in corporate America, there's good chance that your teams will not be as finely tuned as Robert Irvine's. In fact, it's likely that your players will have more important responsibilities than your project; which means that what you ask of them may take a backseat. If this is the case, then how can you be held accountable to deliver? You might as well come up with excuses to tell your boss now, right? Wrong!
Let me repeat myself... Failure to meet a deadline is never an option.
Since I admire Chef Irvine's track record and leadership style, let's see what we can and can't mimic to help get your job done. Here are 5 quick tips...
1. Chef Irvine is an expert on the subject matter that he leads. Are you? The more you know about the project you are trying to complete, the better off you will be. Learn everything there is to know prior to taking the helm.
2. Irvine has a set deadline of 48 hours, as he knows that's how long it will take to deliver results in an optimal way. If not already provided by your boss, hone in on your deadline. A goal without a deadline is a dream.
3. Irvine observes, surveys and tastes but then deconstructs all information to objectively find the root cause of any issues. Follow a similar deconstruction process to understand what your task at hand (and changes it brings) means to all team members and departments.
4. Irvine creates a plan, develops milestones and then holds others accountable to deliver on their goals. Constant communication, checkpoints and shouting are often observed throughout Irvine's process. At every moment he makes sure that the project is advancing. You can get away with almost everything here except the shouting. Breakdown the plan into smaller, more achievable goals that others can easily digest and follow.
5. When problems occur, they are immediately brought to Irvine's attention. He offers sound advice, support and direction. If he doesn't have a feasible solution he tells the team to come up with something, which motivates them to do so. Be sure that your team members come to you for help. Some may think that their specific duty or obstacle doesn't concern you or the greater team. Nip this misconception in the bud and be aware of everything.
Irvine has never missed a deadline, and nor should you. In the business world, time is money and delays of any kind can be costly. If you are leading or taking part in a team that is about to miss a deadline, then try to make the best of a bad situation. Be sure that the team has a contingency plan in place. Any changes to the initial deadline date should be communicated and followed up with reasons for the delay, detailing all of the steps necessary to meet the new date.
You already spent more than $100k on your education, what's another $20? http://t.co/botwnSZix6 via @amazon
— Carmine Del Sordi (@BigLeaguesBook) July 20, 2014
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