Procrastination, Precrastination — and the Creativity Sweet Spot
Procrastination — the act of delaying or putting off — is normally considered something to avoid. And often rightly so. It usually results in a late starting point and a stressful scramble to the finish line. The result may fall short of its potential.
But what about precrastination — rushing to complete something too quickly? It might feel productive, but it can be just as damaging.
When work completion is rushed, it is often elevated to compete with more urgent, important, or impactful work. Over time, this creates fatigue and disengagement, where teams deliver the bare minimum just to tick the box.
👉 We want the middle ground where there’s a zone of moderate & deliberate procrastination — and this is where creativity fully thrives.
When teams have the space to pause and reflect, they explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and build better solutions. It’s not about slowing down — it’s about creating space for creativity, but creativity during execution usually causes delays. However, creativity during planning is critical for innovation.
💡 So how do you strike the right balance between creativity and planning time?
✅ It’s about creating a grey zone, a space and time for the team to be creative.
✅ The grey zone is self-bounded by collaboratively planning, to pull forward actions that address risk and opportunity in innovative ways.
The outcome is a backlog of innovative actions, allowing you to execute innovatively with confidence.
🔗 Visit www.finnite.com.au to book a conversation or explore how Provua can help you deliver with clarity, creativity, and confidence.
Precrastination and procrastination
