Let’s Look at Deadlines
Andrea and Matts Scheudle Lunch
Let’s Look at Deadlines
Even though the deadline comes last in our document, we’re going to take a look at it first. Why? Because most writers don’t even include a deadline in their writing. This happens because readers and writers think about deadlines quite differently.
For readers, a deadline is a call to action.
Without a deadline, readers will wait for one. “We’re busy enough, thank you.”
For writers, giving a deadline can feel bossy, pushy, or aggressive.
We might ask ourselves, “How do I give my boss’s boss a deadline?” The answer is carefully—always with tact, for everyone. But does your boss’s boss want a deadline? Listen to your self-talk here. Of course the answer is “yes.” Writers often miss the boat on giving deadlines simply because they haven’t thought about their importance to the reader.
Without a Deadline, There is No Call to Action
When a writer writes from the perspective of FYI or “I’m just Cc’ing you on this,” the writer is in effect saying, “Here’s the information, do with it what you will.”
The common response from the reader is, “So what? What does this mean to me?”
A big part of keeping a business perspective is thinking through the timeline and setting the deadline so the reader understands the urgency. This is a critical piece for getting things done.
Don’t Let Giving Deadlines Scare You
They are a reader’s and a writer’s best friend. Giving clear deadlines will make you more productive in getting things done.
Writers not only ignore deadlines, but they also ignore other critical needs of readers. As they ramble, writing off-the-cuff, they inadvertently play a game called: