Procrastination usually comes with a negative perception; however Atlas Outsourcing provides their insight into why procrastination can actually be good for business
Most businesses take serious steps to limit procrastination as it’s often viewed to be incredibly damaging to a business. To be successful in business, businesses must be seen to be one step ahead of both competitors and market changes. Having the upper hand means businesses can adapt quickly and ensure their brand is pushing boundaries and stays at the forefront of customer attention. To do this, many believe a business must be constantly creating and innovating, making sure each cog in their business machine is turning and working to their maximum capacity. Procrastination is seen as a break in this cycle as workers who are taking their time and leaving tasks uncompleted are not innovating which could be putting a business in danger of missing targets and falling behind in the market. Procrastination is often perceived to be negative as it prevents workers from fulfilling their full potential and as a result can impact a business’s chances of success.
Atlas Outsourcing however, believes that there can be positives associated with procrastination. The firm believe it’s important to view procrastination from all perspectives, including the approach taken in computer science, commonly referred to as ‘Late Binding’. Late binding is the process of leaving decisions till as late as possible, which although on the surface may seem counterproductive in terms of computer science, as it can have some major benefits when it comes to businesses understanding and assessing market trends and consumer behaviour.
Leaving decisions to the last minute can often open up a wide range of alternatives to businesses. A rushed decision if made badly can cause irreparable damage, whereas allowing time to think it over can help businesses to gain clarity and discover alternative solutions which could prove to be far more beneficial to the business in the long term. Atlas Outsourcing also believes that procrastination allows businesses to think more strategically and plan an effective course of action, rather than diving head in to a complex business decision.
Leaving decisions till the last minute also allows businesses the freedom of flexibility. A business may feel rushed when faced with a decision, however by allowing themselves time to consider all available options and consequences businesses can choose the moment most appropriate to them to settle on a solution before their decision making time is up.
Atlas Outsourcing also thinks that in today’s constantly shifting business world, delaying decisions can help businesses to ensure they are focusing on the most urgent issues first. Market changes can often leave a business in trouble if they don’t have the means to allocate enough time and attention to adapting their business processes to accommodate the changes. By allowing themselves to put certain time consuming decisions on the back burner businesses can focus on what’s most important and keep their businesses running to full capacity.
