DISQUS

Todd Earwood: How Do You Create Urgency?

  • matt gantner · 8 months ago
    In my workplace I see the leadership set of arbitrary deadlines often and then the often quoted "sense of urgency" is to meet that deadline - which no one doing the work really thinks is important. There is a serious disconnect between the leadership setting the deadline and those asked to respect it. Whether the deadline is real or not, the people involved have to believe and have an understanding of the arrangement. In your case it seems that equating your plans to dollars / time/ resources saved is a metric that has to be repeated and raised to prominence. I think in both cases, yours and mine, addressing what motivates the audience is what raises urgency, not the just the understanding of the person setting the deadlines.
  • earwood · 8 months ago
    Matt - Thanks for the comment. I agree deadlines many times (just like sales offers) do seem arbitrary. Motivation or understanding of a larger picture could definitely help.
  • bankdraft/Leigh Scott · 8 months ago
    Do you lay out the consequences of "not making the decision"....both short and long term?
  • earwood · 8 months ago
    Leigh - Great one! Definitely another way to turn the discussion is opportunity cost or damage. Love it.