Page 180 - End Procrastination Now Get it Done with a Proven Psychological Approach

144 End Procrastination Now!

result in lost business. Procrastination in adopting evidence-based
personnel selection methods virtually guarantees selection prob-
lems that will inevitably come back to haunt the organization.
Most chief executives that I’ve spoken to about procrastina-
tion scratch their heads and tell me what currently bothers them
about procrastination: a vice president who lives on the phone but
doesn’t have much to say; overdue performance reviews; talented
outside salespeople who operate significantly below their capabil-
ity; hand-wringing about introducing promising new products;
energy expended in cover-your-tail activities and finger-pointing.
However, a few believe that procrastination doesn’t exist in their
organizations. “We don’t have procrastinators here (a 30,000-
person organization). If we find them, we fire them.” Who can
seriously believe that any organization is a procrastination-free
zone? Not me.
Consistent forms of procrastination can have consistent con-
sequences. Doug is excellent at estimating automobile collision
damage. However, he procrastinates on getting paperwork and
reports into file folders. Multiple times during the day, he pres-
sures himself by looking for estimates among scattered piles and
in odd places. Michelle excuses herself from sitting down with
a subordinate and talking about his pattern of calling in sick or
showing up late on Mondays. She tells herself that she needs more
information. Jimmy is an excellent carpenter, and his prices are
fair. However, he dislikes making estimates and negotiating prices,
and so he loses opportunities by default.
Doug, Michelle, and Jimmy procrastinate in different work
zones. However, because of regularities in their procrastination
patterns, members of this group don’t have to reinvent the wheel
to deal with their special procrastination twist. You can find tested
cognitive, emotive, and behavioral strategies for ditching procras-
tination, as found in this book. The technology is getting better.
Procrastination may not jump right out at you. The costs don’t
call attention to themselves. Some of your coworkers’ greatest