Deadlines are important, staff should adhere to them then move onto the next project without objection to keep the business moving forward; this has been the way business has operated in most companies for many years now, but does it really work?

To start we have to take note that we have been going by quantity over quality for a while now, and maximising the output of a resource by restricting their workflow to tight deadlines to ensure something is done on time and correctly. But we are talking about people here that we are using as a resource to get work done, if you push people too far they eventually break down when overloaded and the downtime can cost a company a lot of money when they have to replace them; the downtime and cost will vary depending on the job and the level of skill of that person.

We have to take into account that we have people with different neural structures that do not think in the same way, and who do not function correctly when they don’t have time to assess and think abut what they are working on, thus reducing their creativity; this usually gives an outcome that’s at the very basic level of what’s expected.

What we should be doing is allowing flexibility in the work place and providing variation so there is freedom to think and be creative. This in turn will produce a much better result and the outcome will always be so much better than expected; if you challenge employees enough and keep them motivated by team challenges you lower the level of tensions in the work place and add an element of fun which actually makes a big difference and employees will like the work they are doing a lot more.

Using this approach you open up new doors to those with different neural structures who will have more time to think and come up with fresh ideas and better ways of working; imagine their potential when they are able to unleash it.