Imagine a traffic jam of ambulances and fire trucks. As far as you can see in front and behind you, all with their lights and sirens wailing.
Very stressful. Not very productive.
So why do so many people wait until the emergency is present to take action?
When you have a report or a presentation due on Friday morning, when do you spend the bulk of your time on it? Thursday? Thursday night?
When managing yourself, work hard to eliminate emergencies.
Set artificial deadlines for yourself. Create a buffer. Finish early. Submit early.
When managing other people, do the opposite. You often have to create emergencies to get them to get things done.
(the good news? You can, honestly and transparently, set early deadlines for the emergencies you create for others, creating the same buffer you do for yourself.)
Doing both well is an art, not a science.
