Content provided in partnership with

Business Services Industry

Done yet?

Entrepreneur, May, 2002 by Chris Sandlund

Too much employee freedom can grind productivity to a halt, according to a recent study of procrastination by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Dan Ariely. He conducted time and productivity experiments on students, including undergraduates and well-organized, type A personalities from the university's executive education program. The results show that imposing interim deadlines on projects yields the best results.

Ariely found that groups with imposed deadlines do the best job, followed by those who set their own interim deadlines. "If we delay tasks, we clump them poorly," Ariely says. "We need help setting [deadlines] to do it properly."

Most Popular Articles in Business: Research and Markets : Tesco Plc - SWOT Framework Analysis; Do Us a Flavor - Ben & Jerry's Issues a Call for Euphoric New Flavors; eBay made easy: ready to start an eBay business? These 5 simple steps will ...; Katrina's lawsuit surge: a legal battle to force insurers to pay for flood ...; Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest ...; More »

That squares with other recent studies on goal. setting, says Steven E. Abraham, associate professor of business at the State University of New York, Oswego. "People need a sense of accomplishment," he says.

Next time you hand out a big assignment, set up interim deadlines so you can keep an eye on progress. Your employees may grouse about micromanaging, but you'll reap better work from their time--especially if you let them know how they're progressing at each step.

Business writer CHRIS SANDLUND (csandlund@entrepreneurcom) works out of cold Spring, New York

Business Services Industry

Done yet?

Entrepreneur, May, 2002 by Chris Sandlund

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Autos

Most Popular Articles in Business

Most Popular Publications in Business