In an environment where time is of the essence and we expect instant gratification, it shocks me how many times organizations think it’s okay to push deadlines. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances arise, forcing a change in deadlines. A natural disaster, lack of raw materials, sudden turnover, shift in technology, etc. can severely disrupt expectations, but these are not the delays I’m talking about. I’m talking about the delays caused by weak organizational infrastructure, poor communication, ineffective logistics, and other internal fallacies.
I’m still flabbergasted to hear, “Just tell them we’ll get the document out to them next week,” or “They’ll be okay if we send them the proposal a day late. They’re not going to look at it until Monday anyway” Having an attitude like this about your work shows those with whom you want to do business that either you don’t care about them, aren’t passionate about what you do, or don’t have the capacity to handle the work – all of which will push organizations to look elsewhere to serve their needs. It also sends a message that if you can’t handle the solicitation phase, you probably can’t handle the scope of work.
Sure it’s better to be late than never, but never late is better.