Good Systems · public information library
What can I do at work to help someone when deadlines help them start and then make them freeze?
People come here to understand why something in everyday life feels harder, different or more costly than it should — and what might make it work better.
Short answer
Use deadlines to create clarity, not panic.
What this can look like
A deadline may be technically possible only if everything goes perfectly and nobody has to think, review or recover.
Why it can happen
A deadline can help prioritise, but impossible timelines and constant urgency create errors, freeze responses and recovery costs. Break delivery into realistic checkpoints.
What might help
Break delivery into real checkpoints. Ask what must be true for the date to work and change scope early when it does not.
What the research helps explain
Executive-function research describes attention, working memory and flexibility as limited, context-sensitive processes. Australian work guidance recognises that cognitive demands, time pressure, role clarity, support and control can shape whether work is manageable.
What can vary
Do not infer a diagnosis, capability level or private health information from a work pattern. Ask about the task conditions, provide equitable options and handle performance concerns fairly.
For this situation
For you, distinguish a true emergency from routine poor planning.
More info and original sources
Poko summarises the relevance of public original sources and links out for anyone who wants to read more.
- Executive Functions — Explains attention, working memory and flexibility in goal-directed tasks.
- Job demands — Australian guidance on cognitive demands, role clarity, workload, control and support.