In high school I was all about meeting the deadlines! I am not a last minute person nor do I procrastinate. I made sure I planned it out and gave myself my own deadline and that was normally 2 days before the original date. There were probably only two times when I was in highschool/university that maybe I couldn’t meet a deadline and asked for an extension and I absolutely hated that. I remember going to my professor and asking him for an extra day, just ONE DAY! I remember I was sweating and couldn’t sleep the night before.
Being in the working world and needing to be organized and having deadlines makes a huge difference. I remember as a Grade Level Leader when I had my meetings I used to give my team 2 days before the original deadline that was given to me by my principal. You are probably wondering why? As a GLL I had to make sure that I had time to go through everything before handing it in to my principal. After all, I was representing the grade 3 team and did not want anyone speaking about us. I wanted to ensure that we got nothing but positive feedback at all times. I remember one of the Grade Level Leader’s asked me once, “How do you manage getting everything in on time or before your deadline?” I simply answered with, “I create a plan for my team, divide it between everyone and then give a deadline 2 days before the original one. This way it gives you time to go through it and turn it in the day before the deadline.” She smiled and applied it on her team and it worked.
Now as an AP this makes more sense than ever and shows your department is on top of everything. I don’t have a team of 7 but a team of 30+ educators. My principal is all about meeting the deadlines and always gives me PLENTY of time to work on my tasks. I remember recently she asked for something and did not give me a deadline to when she needed the documents and when I asked she brushed it off and never gave me an answer. I remember that I felt lost and went crazy, I felt like I was left hanging! So I emailed my staff and gave them my own deadline not knowing if it was too early or late. A simple deadline makes all the difference. It organizes everyone around you and you’re always on top of everything. I give my staff plenty of time to work on a task and never last minute tasks with a deadline. I expect they meet the deadline in a professional manner.
Some might agree with me and some might disagree with me which is fine. But trust me when I say giving your team a deadline makes a huge difference. It shows that you are organized, on top of it and no one slacks off. I assure you that things get done the minute you assign them a deadline. Try it!
