Patterns / 6. Fight, Fold, or Leave
Pattern 6.4
Set Yourself a Deadline
Decide in advance how long you will give a change, and what would make you change your goal, role, patron, or employer.
In This Context
A fight to change how an organization funds its work has no natural end date. Budget rounds come and go, sponsors move on, and there is always a reason to think the next round will be different. Without a limit set in advance, the decision to stop gets made by frustration rather than judgment, often long after it should have been.
Therefore
- Write down the change you are trying to make, and the patron who would have to want it.
- Name the sign of an unwinnable system that worries you most.
- Decide how long you will give it, and what would make you change your goal, role, patron, or employer.
Consequently
- The decision to stay or move is made in advance, while you can still judge it calmly.
- A deadline can also be a reason to push harder while it lasts.
Seen In
ch18_plan, “What to do on Monday”.