Deadlines and Modern Day CEOs

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

Douglas Adams

One of the most dangerous occupational hazards in the modern world is the Deadlines. Almost nothing comes without a tag of Most Important or Top Priority. Rumours are that there are bosses who write cryptic notes like "I want it yesterday", "if this isn't in, you are out", "First complete it, you can start it later" or things to that effect.

So, I enjoyed seeing this picture in one of the comics recently. It captures the essence. Well done!


One may think, things will be different in Development sector. In fact, there was a notion that things go rather slow, at our own pace etc. in the NGOs. We are more 'process-oriented' people, you see. No. Not any longer. The deadlines are more stringent (and absurd) in the development sector, than even in Corporate world.

To prove that you do things the way the donor (0r your supporter) wants you, the demands are ever increasing. Quarterly reports, monthly updates, weekly notes. The status reports will soon become Daily Situation Report or something like that. Take a snap at the end of each day and email it to us immediately. By 6.15 everyday, it should have been uploaded.

One might have thought that to work in an NGO you need a noble heart, compassionate thoughts and a determination to work for the underprivileged. That is old fashion. These days, you need a whole lot of qualities to be an effective NGO chap. In one of those frustrating moments, I decided to create an imaginary Chief Functionary of an NGO, whom all funding agencies will love! S/he will be a highly qualified, well-equipped, effective CEO of an NGO.


It will look something like this. Click on the picture above or here to see the full picture.

Do you agree?