Made-Up Deadlines Still Matter
Let’s be honest — most deadlines in the home service world are completely made up. They’re guesses. Best-case scenarios. Dates pulled from thin air or scribbled on whiteboards during a meeting that ran too long.
And yet… they matter. More than we want to admit.
If you’ve ever said, “we’ll shoot for Friday,” knowing full well it’ll be next week — this one’s for you.
Deadlines Aren’t Always Real — But They Shape Reality
Deadlines feel fake because they usually are. Very few of them are hard and fast. But here’s the catch: even made-up deadlines influence how your team works, how customers perceive you, and how you build trust.
They create urgency, set expectations, and — when used right — they can actually reduce stress. Not because they’re ironclad. But because they help people plan.
People feel less anxious when they know what’s happening next. Even if a date changes, some kind of expectation beats radio silence every time.
Winging It Isn’t a Workflow
There’s a difference between flexibility and flakiness. If your business is always “figuring it out as we go,” that’s not agility. That’s chaos with a nicer name.
Winging it means:
- Projects take longer than they should
- Customers get frustrated
- Team morale drops
Deadlines — even the soft, flexible kind — give shape to the chaos. They help you prioritize. They help your team understand what matters today and what can wait.
Without a target, you’re not behind schedule — you’re just lost.
The Real Role of a Deadline
Deadlines aren’t meant to create panic. They’re meant to create clarity. They answer:
- When will this be done?
- Who’s responsible for it?
- What happens next?
You don’t need military precision. But you do need to help your team understand:
- What’s expected
- What’s at stake
- What “done” actually looks like
And yeah, sometimes deadlines move. That’s okay. What’s not okay is not communicating that.
Set Deadlines That Actually Work
Here’s how to make deadlines that help — not hurt:
- Build them with your team: Don’t dictate from a mountaintop. Involve the people doing the work. They usually know what’s realistic.
- Leave room for real life: Things break. Trucks don’t start. People get sick. If your timeline has zero flexibility, it’s already broken.
- Break things down: “Finish the remodel” isn’t a deadline. “Rough in by Wednesday, tile by Friday” is.
- Use your tools: Whiteboard, Trello, ServiceTitan — it doesn’t matter. Just make it visible. If no one can see it, it doesn’t exist.
- Stick to them when it counts: Some deadlines really do matter. Make sure your team knows which ones are mission-critical.
Communication > Perfection
Nobody hits every deadline. The key is letting people know where things stand.
“We’re two days behind because X happened, and here’s what we’re doing about it” builds more trust than ghosting your customer until you’re caught up.
Same goes for your team. If they’re behind, they need to feel safe to say so — without fear of getting chewed out. Otherwise, you’re flying blind until it’s too late.
Make it safe for people to speak up early, and you’ll actually hit more deadlines in the long run.
Deadlines Aren’t the Enemy — They’re the Guardrails
I’ve worked with teams that had zero structure. No timelines. No project leads. Just vibes. And guess what? Everyone was stressed all the time.
Then I’ve worked with teams with rigid, punishing deadline cultures — where missing a day meant someone got thrown under the bus. That’s just as bad.
The sweet spot?
Structure with communication.
Deadlines that matter, but aren’t treated like landmines. Timelines that flex, but don’t snap.
A Personal Take
I’ve had to rebuild my own life around deadlines. Not the fake, corporate kind — the kind that actually shape your reality.
Doctor’s appointments. Recovery timelines. Deadlines that meant the difference between standing up again or staying stuck.
That experience taught me something:
Structure is freeing. When you know what you’re aiming for, you can stop spinning your wheels.
In your business, the same is true.
You’re not failing because you missed a deadline. You’re failing if you never had one to begin with.
Final Word
Give your team the gift of clarity. Start setting deadlines — even if they’re made up.
They still matter.
