I have a confession: I used to think that my deadline style was the best one. Not only that, I thought it was the only one. Anyone who wasn’t doing it my way was doing it wrong.

And then I met Melissa.

Melissa and I have two very different deadline styles. In our fifteen years together, I’ve come to see that her style works perfectly for her, and mine works perfectly for me.

In talking with others about this issue, I’ve noticed that most folks prefer one style over the other. I’ve yet to meet anyone who does a combo of the two. (If you’re one of those people, let me know!)

Style #1 is The Sprinter.

Sprinters do most of their work right before the deadline.

If they get an assignment months before it’s due, they may think about it, but they won’t work on it. They actually are working on it, by letting ideas and inspirations percolate in the time leading up to the deadline, but it doesn’t look like they’re doing anything.

Sprinters like the intensity and burst of productivity that comes with their style.

Style #2 is The Deliberator.

Deliberators like to have lots of time before a deadline. When they get an assignment, they start working on it immediately.

Does something need to be finished four months from now? Great! Deliberators will spend that four months gradually compiling everything they need for the project. They will then finish their project early or on time.

Deliberators like the peace and pace of their style.

In case you didn’t already guess, I’m a Deliberator and Melissa is a Sprinter.

Before I met Melissa and saw the value of her style, I used to judge Sprinters. I thought they were just procrastinators. If only they were more disciplined, they too could benefit from the clearly superior Deliberator style.

Yeah, no. Now I see how wrong I was about Sprinters.

I also see that I wasn’t the only one judging them. I notice that Sprinters tend to get a lot of judgment about their style. Including from themselves.

In Melissa’s case, now that she knows she’s a Sprinter, she can plan for that. She can set aside an optimal amount of time right before the deadline to get the work done.

In the past, she might have spent the time leading up to the deadline giving herself a hard time for procrastinating. Now she doesn’t have to do that. She knows how to work with her style.

Conversely, as a Deliberator, I know it’s helpful for me to have a lot of space around my deadlines. I want to be able to gradually compile thoughts and inspirations. I do not want that deadline breathing down my neck. Oh no.

Now that Melissa and I understand and respect each other’s styles, we can work together in a way that fits our two different approaches. I know that I’m going to get my part done in the time leading up to the deadline, and I know she’ll do her part at the end.

No conflict. No judgement. Just a Sprinter and a Deliberator who have learned to work together.

For me, working with a Sprinter is definitely different than working with another Deliberator, as I’ve done multiple times. With two Deliberators, you can share that long space up to the deadline to do your work together. When you’re dealing with a Deliberator/Sprinter combo, a different workflow comes into play.

If both people are Sprinters, that can work as well. You just have to clearly communicate about your styles and schedule time for both of you to complete the work in that compressed space before the deadline. (Melissa, my favorite Sprinter, also suggests that, if possible, you bring a Deliberator on the team to help the Sprinters schedule their time. If there are Sprinters who have found other effective ways to work with other Sprinters, I’d love to hear about it!)

The best thing for me about discovering and understanding these two styles is that I’ve let go of my Deliberator superiority. I’ve come to truly appreciate the value of each style.

I’ve also come to see that accepting your style is the first step to working more effectively with it. And more effectively with others.

Yes, I had to get off my Deliberator high horse to get there, but high horses are pretty uncomfortable places to be!

What’s your deadline style? Share your comments below!

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