Studies have shown that deadlines are one of the most stressful aspects of the workplace — especially when we (or our bosses) overestimate how quickly we can complete a task, and then end up scrambling to meet an excessively tight timeline. And this isn’t just about feeling a little stressed. Time pressure due to unrealistic deadlines has also been found to have a significant negative impact on creativity, effectiveness, and overall performance.
Go Ahead and Ask for More Time on that Deadline
New research suggests your boss may see it as a sign of competence.
December 10, 2021
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Summary.
Unrealistic deadlines don’t help anyone — and yet more often than not, employees avoid asking for extensions even when they know more time would help them do a better job. Through a series of studies with more than 4,000 working adults, the author illustrates how despite people’s assumption that they’ll be judged negatively if they request a deadline extension, managers are actually likely to rate employees who ask for extra time as more competent and motivated. As such, she argues that managers should make an effort to clearly communicate when deadlines are flexible (since employees are likely to assume that they aren’t), and that when in doubt, employees shouldn’t be afraid to ask for extra time.