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  • April 4, 2019
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

Why We Don't Ask for More Time on Deadlines (But Probably Should)

By: Jaewon Yoon, A.V. Whillans and Grant Donnelly
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

Deadlines are one of the biggest sources of stress in the workplace. Yet, many are flexible: Your manager might ask you to submit a proposal for a long-term project by Friday, but not plan to look at it until Tuesday. Could asking for more time (when we need it) be a simple way to avoid feeling panicked and overwhelmed? While it’s common to believe that pushing back a deadline might reflect poorly on us and be seen as unprofessional, we know relatively little from research about the actual consequences of asking for more time. To better understand this, we conducted 10 experiments and a survey with nearly 10,000 employees and managers in the United States. We found that, across occupations, asking for more time to work on an assignment was, on average, perceived positively by managers—and it reduced employees’ stress levels and improved their performance. In one survey—of 191 employees—we found that 95% of those who asked their manager for a deadline extension received one.

Keywords

Time; Stress; Employees; Time Management; Perception; Performance; Happiness

Citation

Yoon, Jaewon, A.V. Whillans, and Grant Donnelly. "Why We Don't Ask for More Time on Deadlines (But Probably Should)." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 4, 2019).
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About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • March 29, 2021
    • Harvard Business Review (website)

    Research: A Little Recognition Can Provide a Big Morale Boost

    By: Shibeal O'Flaherty, Michael Sanders and Ashley V. Whillans
    • 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Extension Request Avoidance Increases Time Stress among Women

    By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
    • March 23, 2021
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    A Multicountry Perspective on Gender Differences in Time Use During COVID-19

    By: Ashley V. Whillans, Laura M. Giurge and Ayse Yemiscigil (shared authorship)
More from the Authors
  • Research: A Little Recognition Can Provide a Big Morale Boost By: Shibeal O'Flaherty, Michael Sanders and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Extension Request Avoidance Increases Time Stress among Women By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
  • A Multicountry Perspective on Gender Differences in Time Use During COVID-19 By: Ashley V. Whillans, Laura M. Giurge and Ayse Yemiscigil (shared authorship)
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