Reactive states and the skill to be constructive and deliver under pressure have a place: when a situation or crisis requires. Setting an unnecessary deadline to trigger this state seems…unnecessary, and likely kills off the true innovation and next-level thinking we find when boundaries and restrictions (including the looming, fear-inducing distraction of a deadline) are removed.

Do you think we all have the emergency response skill to some extent, Poornima Vijayashanker?

Understanding a team’s capacity and engaging with goals, setting priorities- — the natural productivity will deliver on time and in greater abundance. Emergencies and pressure states should be rare — declared as a special challenge only when circumstance requires and balanced with a strong, humanist culture of supportive, creative flow.