Customer Reviews

Deadline!: How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
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Deadline is a very interesting read especially to those of you that work in the Construction and Commerical/ Manufacturing Industries. The author gives us (6) stories, several of which give the reader an excellant overview of what it takes to get a project finished within a time frame (in those respective industries). They are suspenseful stories. I would say that I wish there were more story lines in this regard on how the individuals involved solved the problems and got their projects completed within the deadlines imposed.

Deadline is a well written, enjoyable read. And you don't even have to be an executive, or in management, to benefit from the experience of the successful business and law enforcement teams on which these case studies focus.

Dan Carrison knows how to tell a good story but, perhaps more importantly, he knows how to take that story and turn it into something more: a valuable learning experience. I took away key lessons from every chapter in this book. The techniques that especially resonated for me were partnering (even with an adversary) and accepting risk. The principles that he reviews will help me out in the future as I "race against time" to meet deadlines in my own workplace.

DEADLINE - How premier organizations win the race against time.

I am not a premier organization by the stretch of anyone's imagination so how much help can I hope for in winning my own race against time from the lessons learned and applied by premier organizations. I was delighted to find, quite a bit.

Carrison has researched six organizations from law enforcement to the private sector to aerospace, entities all faced with great challenge, and brought us the benefit of their experience. Given that to make use of this experience will require some discipline on our part, we can be off and running with this very good read. Here's one I hope I would have employed even had I not read it here, "Involve those who can inhibit you early in the process." Here's another, "Involve your customer with the beta test." Sounds risky but imagine that to do so could actually reduce risk in that the customer, like other members of the team, will tend to share the sense of failure on the road to success and thus feel a greater sense of success in the outcome. Here's another gem, "Be willing to subjugate your personality in the interest of the deadline." It reminds me of the plaque said to reside on President Reagan's desk which conveyed that there was no limit to what could be achieved if you just didn't care who got the credit.

It was refreshing to see the human side revealed so well in what could be a dreary and didactic review of how best to use one's time. Whether the goal is lofty or not so lofty, herein lie excellent examples from real world endeavors from which to garner tidbits for our real world. And, to leave with a hook, the closing chapter, "Recurring Themes of Deadline Management" is especially revealing. Great research, great read.

David Heidelberger

To date, I've only read the chapter on Conoco's response to aiding the community in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison. I look forward to reading the remainder of the book over the holidays.

Dan Carison has acurately captured what I witnessed first-hand in coordinating the "Weekend of Caring" efforts that Conoco employees undertook with regards to assisting those in time of need. I still have a hard time reading some segments of this story without showing emotion...the author captures details that are forever burned in my memory. I've told many others of Dan's gift in capturing the human elements of the story - the details are an exact duplication of what I felt - the hair on the back of my neck stands out each time I read various segments of the book I'm familiar with. There truly are lessons to be learned regarding tight to impossible deadlines whether that be personally or corporately.

My hat is off to the author for capturing a remarkable story!

As a project manager Deadline presents actual cases and gives priceless advice about how to deal with customers (listen and involve), team (cultivate and lead) and the deadline itself (take risk and mitigate) from real projects of big "companies". I strongly recommend it.

Most other reviews here are pretty much on the mark - here's a great read with salient lessions drawn from a number of 'premier organizations' about how they've managed to succeed against what are, quite often, immoveable deadlines.
In some instances (FBI kidnapping) I was left somewhat disappointed at the simple instance provided and the lack of any suggestion of reaction to an impending deadline by the agents involved. They pondered, realised and nabbed the offender which was great but I failed to find within the situation given any real scenarios that involved their responses to an impending deadline in a situation where things appeared lost.
However, having said that, Carrison certainly hones in on the FBIs ongoing case analysis and reviews - post incident reviews that provide the necessary updates to current method that do provide controlled approach that limits wasted effort.
At the end of each chapter is a series of bullet points that reiterate the lessons provided.

All in all, a good read and a valuable set of lessons that can be taken away, reflected upon and then applied as appropriate.

...try being the FBI on deadline to save an abducted man from his murderous captor.... Or Boeing to build a next-generation jet. Deadline! by former Marine Dan Carrison shows how top-notch organizations like these surmount seemingly impossible odds to get the job done right and on time. The principles can be applied to any office project. Thank you Dan for giving me my marching orders! This book showed me no matter how challenging the project, it *can* be done -- on deadline.

Deadline! is a dramatic read. Carrison's book is a narrative success as well as a practical road map for reaching goals and a set of principles for retaining focus and keeping one's wits while working in the "pressure cooker." Carrison is like a veteran war correspondent. He speaks to those who were in the trenches. These stories entertain as well as instruct.

A must for everyone. I apply it to my daily LIFE. It works!