The Deadline Effect
Inside Elite Organizations That Have Mastered the Ticking Clock
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- ¥1,800
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In the tradition of Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, a wise and fascinating book that shows us how “we can make deadlines work for us instead of the other way around” (The Wall Street Journal).
Perfectionists and procrastinators alike agree—it’s natural to dread a deadline. Whether you are completing a masterpiece or just checking off an overwhelming to-do list, the ticking clock signals despair. Christopher Cox knows the panic of the looming deadline all too well—as a magazine editor, he has spent years overseeing writers and journalists who couldn’t meet a deadline to save their lives. After putting in a few too many late nights in the newsroom, he became determined to learn the secret of managing deadlines. He set off to observe nine different organizations as they approached a high-pressure deadline. Along the way, Cox made an even greater discovery: these experts didn’t just meet their big deadlines—they became more focused, productive, and creative in the process.
An entertaining blend of “behavioral science, psychological theory, and academic studies with compelling storytelling and descriptive case studies” (Financial Times), The Deadline Effect reveals the time-management strategies these teams used to guarantee success while staying on schedule: a restaurant opening for the first time, a ski resort covering an entire mountain in snow, a farm growing enough lilies in time for Easter, and more. Cox explains how to use deadlines to our advantage, the dynamics of teams and customers, and techniques for using deadlines to make better, more effective decisions.
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High-stakes deadlines can be an opportunity for "successes rather than failures," writes former GQ executive editor Cox in his fascinating debut. In seven profiles, Cox surveys individuals and organizations that have harnessed the power of deadlines to succeed under immense pressure: a three-star Michelin chef used daily checkpoints to successfully open two restaurants back-to-back; a Telluride ski resort harnessed the power of a soft open to turn a barren mountain into a snow-covered destination in a week; and an obscure presidential candidate focused on narrow goals in the year and a half he had in order to qualify for televised debates. Cox even worked at Best Buy as a way of covering the company's lead-up to Black Friday: intricately planned dry runs for the big day started two weeks prior. For the pros, he shows, meeting a deadline is a process: begin with a drop-dead date, then establish a series of benchmarks along the way. Cox's profiles are full of insight and the observational flare of excellent magazine writing (chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's unfinished kitchen was so cold "that a few of the cooks huddled around the pizza oven for warmth"). This entertaining guide to the art of getting things done gets it done with style.
