Overview

In project management, urgency is often mistaken for progress. Teams race toward deadlines like sprinters chasing a finish line, only to discover they’ve been running in the wrong direction. The clock demands speed, but the compass demands clarity – and without the latter, the former is just noise. This article explores why direction matters more than deadlines, and how leaders can shift from managing time to guiding purpose. Because in the end, it’s not how fast you move – it’s where you’re headed that defines success. And if you’re headed for a cliff, arriving early isn’t much of a win. Here is a punchy and practical checklist to find out if you and your project team are Clock-Obsessed (chasing time) or Compass-Guided (chasing meaning):

Symptom	Clock-Obsessed	Compass-Guided
Project Kickoff	“We need it done by Friday.”	“Let’s define what success looks like first.”
Status Updates	“How many hours did we log?”	“Are we still solving the right problem?”
Team Morale	“We’re behind – work faster.”	“Let’s pause and recalibrate.”
Scope Changes	“We’ll fix it in Phase 2.”	“Does this move us closer to the goal?”
Tools & Metrics	“Velocity is down – panic!”	“Let’s revisit our priorities.”
Decision-Making	“We promised delivery by Tuesday.”	“Let’s make the right call, not just the fast one.”
Risk Management	“We’ll deal with it if it blows up.”	“Let’s steer around it before it does.”
Retrospectives	“We met the deadline – next!”	“What did we learn, and how do we improve?”

Setting Deadlines (Conceptual West => Operational East)

Project deadlines are dates that usually have ghastly consequences if you miss them – sometimes more political than practical. They usually represent dates that your customers/stakeholders want your project to meet. Projects’ date constraints don’t guarantee that you’ll meet your deadlines and can have serious drawbacks. When adding deadlines, MS Project uses the deadline date to calculate the critical path, not the early start/finish and late/finish dates.

The critical path is the longest sequence of tasks in the project schedule. It starts on the start date and runs to the project finish date. The critical path’s coupling has an upside – if a critical task finishes early, its successors can start earlier (if their resources are available) which mean an earlier finish date. So, the critical path is the key to success whether you’re trying to keep your schedule on track or need to shorten it. Bottomline, deadlines can push momentum, but without direction, you risk delivering something fast that no one needs.

When Projects go South

Hitting milestones and deadlines might look great on a Gantt chart, but it doesn’t guarantee that the project delivered real value. Here are the top reasons why projects that look successful on paper fall short in practice:

• Wrong Direction or Strategy – Misaligned goals, poor strategic fit or just tunnel vision.
• Stakeholder or User Changes -Leadership turnover, market shifts, or lack of stakeholder engagement/ownership.
• Under Performing Product or Service – Functionality gaps, poor adaptation, or hidden maintenance costs.

The Compass is Your Strategic North Star

A compass gives you and your team a clear sense of direction that helps you to understand the mission, not just the milestones. Think of it like swimming laps: you can rack up distance, but if you’re in the wrong lane, you’re not winning the race. A compass-driven project delivers outcomes that resonate with stakeholders and increase their trust in you. It shows you’re not just managing time – you’re managing impact.

When priorities shift (and they always do), a compass helps you recalibrate without panic. Also, it empowers teams to say “no” to distractions and “yes” to what aligns with the goal. Direction gives meaning to effort. Even when timelines slip, teams stay motivated because they know the destination still matters and it helps to reduce burnout. Lastly, a well-defined direction makes it easier to onboard new team members, pivot when needed, and measure success beyond the deadline.

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy

“Are you aware that rushing toward a goal is a sublimated death wish? It’s no coincidence we call them ‘deadlines.”  – Tom Robbins

Your feedback is always welcome here in the comments, and in the Community Discussion Forum!

Before your next kickoff, ask not just when it’s due – but why it matters.