When “Able to Work Under Tight Deadlines” Is Just Poor Planning in Disguise

I know I’m gonna rub some people the wrong way and might even lose some opportunities because of this post, but this is what I’ve been experiencing working as an executive before becoming a manager myself.

Let’s talk about how poor planning from the management is often disguised as “being able to work under tight deadlines” or “wearing multiple hats.” These phrases sound ambitious and exciting in job descriptions, but in reality, they’re often just a polite way of saying: we don’t plan ahead, and you’ll have to fix it.

Sure, sometimes things happen out of nowhere, an urgent campaign, a last-minute pitch, or a client who suddenly wants everything done yesterday. That’s part of the job. But when everything feels urgent, when every project is “last-minute,” that’s not agility, that’s chaos.

The real issue is how this has been normalized. Being overworked is glorified as “commitment,” exhaustion is seen as “passion,” and being constantly on edge is labeled as “thriving under pressure.” It’s a toxic cycle that benefits no one.

When management fails to plan properly, it trickles down. Employees are forced to scramble, priorities clash, and quality suffers, but the blame always lands on the ones executing. You’ll hear things like “you need to be more proactive” or “you need to manage your time better,” when in fact, what’s missing is a plan.

From my experience, planning and managing isn’t just about taking on projects and delegating tasks, it’s about knowing and understanding your resources, which is your team. Why take on a project to build Rome when you only have one architect and one construction worker? Then, as the site manager, you delegate to those two people and hope for the best? When Rome collapses, you can’t just shift the blame to the architect and the construction worker.

Planning and managing require you to understand your team’s capacity and capability. As a manager, your role isn’t just to manage your clients’ or bosses’ expectations, but also your team’s. Good management is about balancing ambition with reality by pushing your team to grow without pushing them to the edge.

Because at the end of the day, success isn’t just about meeting deadlines or wearing multiple hats, it’s about leading with empathy, awareness, and the understanding that no great work comes from burnout.