Lack of Objectives, Priorities and Deadlines

Published: Apr 5, 2004

Application

Lacking objectives, priorities and deadlines is an internal issue requiring modification of your personal behavior.

Let's deal with setting yourself up for the task of modifying long-standing habits.

Recognize this problem as an internal issue that you, alone, must face.
Resolve to face it.
Accept the fact you need help.
Seek help from others or by following the many self-help resources available here and elsewhere.
Identify the numerous situations where this is causing problems in your life.(Red threads)
Visualize the joy of being skillful at setting objectives, establishing priorities and meeting deadlines in everything you do in life.
Study and practice the skills until they become a way of life.
Extend the skills to all your life compartments.

In our Management Skills unit, emphasis has been placed on distinguishing between efficiency and effectiveness. Setting priorities is a key element in this. Being efficient on a low priority matter will result in low effectiveness. Being efficient on a high priority matter will result in high effectiveness.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Stories

Management by Objectives

Peter Drucker is credited for formulating [MBO] Management by Objectives in his early career. Most managers loved to talk about it but, few practiced it. Great as the idea was, it was uncomfortable to follow. The idea of planning to accomplish measurable results by a specific time could be embarrassing when the plan was not fulfilled by the deadline.

The management gurus kept renaming the concept to attract people to their workshops. The acronyms ran the gamut from KRA (Key Result Areas) to HRDT (Human Relations and Development Training.) Whenever I would hear of workshops touting a new system for getting things done, I would look at the basics only to find it was MBO disguised under a new name.

To me, this was a significant discovery. MBO has remained a viable concept for over 50 years – only the name changes have been fads.

This story bears repeating. Entering an MBA degree program at a school which did not recognize majors was a grand opportunity to map out a personal development program. I had concluded my decision making skills could stand some improvements. So, I took every quantitative and every qualitative course related to decision making. In hindsight, that has given me great joy while facing problems and issues. There are fleeting moments when I suspect I invite problems just for the joy of solving them. What I'm trying to say is – an above average ability to establish and meet Objectives, Priorities and Deadlines will result in a happier life.

I have a friend who has been in the newspaper business most of his life. Now that he conducts an active public relations practice when he can escape the pressure of constant deadlines, he prefers to defer (not the same as procrastinating) projects until he feels the heat of a deadline. Why not? That's when he's at his best.

By the way, this highly influential 'mover and shaker' is approaching his seventies.

Submitted by: NephewGerry

Outcomes

Above average accomplishments.
Higher self-esteem.
A very happy life.

Lack of Objectives, Priorities and Deadlines

Application

Stories

Management by Objectives

Outcomes

Related Topics