Is it procrastination or just-in-time?

A few days ago, I asked the following question on Twitter: What's the difference between procrastination and just-in-time? Here are a couple of the responses I got:

@ronhubbard About a day.

@txglennross RT @LisaHaneberg: What's the difference between procrastination and just-in-time? | I think my brain just exploded. LOL

@sylviataylor - things not getting done and things getting done!

@margaretmotamed Good question! When it's planned?

@Brainmaker Well, just-in-time could mean "in flow" or superb planning. Procrastination holds neither.

What do you think? This question is important because one practice might be considered a problem and one a good time management regimen. But do we know when we have our acts together and when we are barely treading water? Might the difference be how we define things?

What if our schedule works for us but not others? How would you train individuals and teams to be more effective given that one person's proacrastination might be another person's just-in-time?

It is all about agreements. And I recommend that you include this consideration the next time you need to start a team project or interdependent process to avoid issues with unmet expectations. And may sure that you understand how your manager would define these terms (and as a manager, make sure your employees are clear about how you define the difference between procrastination and just-in-time).

Comments

[FriedBob]

Great topic. It brings to mind something someone I used to work with liked to say.

"A lack of planning on your part does not make it an emergency on my part."

I think the biggest difference between the two is communication.

[Debashish Brahma]

Now I have a question what is the diffrence between 'Sence Of Urgency" and "Speed".
Is "Kaizen" slow but continious devlopment or "Rapid Devlopment" is good?
Regards,

[Rodney Cooley]

Having used just-in-time a lot during my career in manufacturing, I have to say that it is far from procrastination. JIT involves exact planning to minimize the amount of resources tied up in inventory and still meet the customer's need for a specific delivery time.

If you don't have good planning and good communication like others have said, it becomes a big mess. Definitely not rush-rush to meet the deadline.

[lisa haneberg]

Interesting comments, thanks. Rodney - I agree that the two are different, but I wonder if this is always clear to both the customer and supplier. I think some people, who clearly don't have their act together, would characterize their work flow as just-in-time. At the same time they are driving people around them crazy. Friedbob, I think this is where you were going with your comment...

Debashish - that's a provocative question. Perhaps we can get others to weigh in on speed versus urgency. I know Kotter would have a few things to say.

[Andy Spence]

It's all about being clear with your expectations and articulating the 'what' and the 'when'. As Kotter would say creating a 'sense of urgency' is sometimes important in pulling the rug under people to enable large scale change. But when there is a deadline brewing, procrastination is my personal enemy.
The term derives from the latin "of tomorrow", so on my office wall there is a quote, "never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today" - Benjamin Franklin.....anyway I should stop reading blogs and get back to writing another chapter of my book!

[lisa haneberg]

Andy - Love the quote, thanks. I struggle with procrastination on some things, too. But I am very proactive, too. It is strange how those two things coexist - they feed each other. I have procrastinated with book writing, too. Here's a mantra I use when I need to get writing:

Writers write every day. Write now, edit later. Motivation is not required, just resolve.