I am always puzzled when someone asks me for a new drop dead date. My first reaction is usually a reference to the definition of the term.

Basically that is, the last-delay date (hence the name drop dead date) past which certain consequences will automatically follow, such as cancelation,financial penalty or worst of all I might have to defriend you from my face book account.

Changes Happen

Due dates do change, hopefully this is the result of factors not known at the time committments were made (the things nobody knows.). Unfortunately the reason is all too often related to good intentions.

The thinking process is usually something like “that dates six months away, what could go wrong, I’ll do it”.   Frequently “reality bites” and if the risk events (the ones you know about) are not carefully considered we often find that in fact “good intentions pave the road to hell”.

The good thing of course is today generally the “dead” part of the phrase is not taken literally and although there may be consequences typically they are not fatal.

Sometimes when I am frustrated I like to ask people “just what did you think the term drop dead meant?”

Multiple Drop Dead Dates, even more fun

What really turns my crank is when two or three drop dead dates are contingent on each other and the first is missed.  The offender says the final due date is months down so we can still make it, right?

Often this perspective triggers my critical path rant, for all the good it does me.

Sucking up what I really think though, I find the best approach is a respectfull dialogue to replan while being clear about what the consequences of the change are (So there are no misunderstandings later.)