NEVER STRETCH BEYOND A LIMIT


We often come across people in the industries who stretch themselves too much to achieve their target dates. It is good habit indeed if adequate caution is exercised.   .Everyday we have to commit some date to someone for some activity .....be it office or home. The target dates are important but one must understand that there is no point in spoiling the fun part of the work or quality of the work just to meet these committed target dates.

In one of the best sellers  "SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE" , STEFEN COVEY , an author said that "BEGIN WITH AN END IN THE MIND.He strongly recommends that one must estimate when the activity will be completed.


The date on which the end of the activity can happen without compromising on quality of work  should be ideally the TARGET DATE  of  that activity or assignment or Project. Unfortunately real world is not ideal  therefore  Target Dates are decided in most unscientific manner. Many commit the  dates casually while others are scared to commit  any date.

 There are certain projects or Activities whose completion Target Date evolves eventually as the project progresses. Sometime it is practically impossible to decide the Target date just when

the project is conceived or approved.Nevertheless Target Date must be there.....Why ?.......  It is because if there is no Target Date, there will not be any focus .It is said that without Target dates project or Activity stands a great risk of getting aborted .

Some managers think that the Target dates are like swords hanging over their head. They literally get bogged down when they have to commit the date. Some build lot of cushions before committing the date and smartly achieve the Target before the committed date.They are then rewarded for their hard work (even if they have not stretched themselves even an inch)  and not for their smartness........perhaps  because their bosses are not smart !!

Those who give realistic target dates sometime miss them and many bosses consider it a crime ! Person is warned and sometime even punished. 


Committing the Target date  is therefore a  tricky thing .If it is too tight it generates more  pressure while if target date has too much of cushions then progress of project becomes very slow. For moving the things, pressure must be there ....but if  pressure is excessive there is danger of something going wrong. Good managers correctly guess what are the expectations of top management and are also good in estimating the required time after understanding the constraints. This balanced approach help them in deciding project completion dates fairly well.


Once,in one of my earlier jobs I committed the Target Date which was rather too much ahead  of  the  expectation of the boss. This boss was very shrewed . His next question to me  was " Do you know where one gets locks?"  I utterly got confused....but he calmly repeated the question and insisted for the answer. With no options given to me I answered which shops  the locks are available . The boss smiled  and suggested that I should go and buy locks there and close the department where I am working !

I quickly guessed why the boss is talking like that and immediately I committed earlier date and told him instead of 5  weeks  I can make sincere attempt and try to complete the work in 2 weeks by reshuffling the priorities. The boss took the commitment from me in writing !Exactly after two weeks I was called by him and he asked me what is the date today ?-.....I started telling him about the status of the work and I  wanted to assure him  that within a day or two the job will be completed.When I was done  the boss calmly repeated his question " what is the date today ?"  I was given no option but to answer the question ..... ,"11th March  1985 ," I answered his very specific  querry !....Boss then asked me to read aloud the paper in my handwriting given to him fortnight ago which he had pinned on the board. I read the paper signed by me and  after that I was  asked to go.  When  I completed the work in next 2 days the boss was surprisingly very happy and talked to me like human being ! He then told me that I must learn to correctly guess the Target Dates.

Target dates are not sacrosanct but they must be there. The bosses who feel that target dates are inviolable are not good bosses and subordinates who think target dates can be postponed are not good subordinates !

Everyone must respect the Target dates and try their best .....to meet them..While working there is no need to stretch beyond a limit .


.....After all if a child is going to take 9 months to take birth ....it will take  9 months ... some time a week  more also !!

      -----Rajendra Phansalkar

              July 11 2009

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