Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are two of the most references when we think innovation. Even though Steve is no longer with us, some of his genius is still in our hands thanks to the iPhone, the iPad… On the other hand, Elon Musk continues to lead the manufacturing of electric cars thanks to Tesla and is also trying to conquer space with his company SpaceX.
What is Parkinson’s Law?
The first thing I would like to clarify as the editor of this article is that Parkinson’s technique and Parkinson’s disease They have the same name, but are not related.. Parkinson’s law or technique was formulated by British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson in 1955. On the other hand, Parkinson’s disease is named after the British physician James Parkinson, who was the first to describe it in detail in 1817.
From here, What is Parkinson’s Law? This working method is based on set increasingly tight deadlines for tasks that don’t seem so at first glance. This creates a sense of urgency that encourages efficiency and focus. With this procrastination is reduced and wasted time. This technique not only helps to complete tasks faster, but also improves work teams by keeping people active.
This is how Steve Jobs and Elon Musk applied this technique
Steve Jobs is famous for his high standards and level of perfection. In addition, he also went down in history for asking for seemingly impossible deadlines. A good example is the development of the first iPhone. The Apple team worked under intense pressure and tight deadlines. So much so that Keynote itself was scripted down to the millimeter to avoid possible software errors.
This technique or Parkinson’s law forced the team to focus on the essentialsremoving any unnecessary features or designs that could delay the launch. Something that also coincides with the first principle theory that Steve Jobs also applied in projects as important as the iPhone.
Elon Musk is known for his ambitious deadlines and ability to push your teams to achieve seemingly impossible goals. Furthermore, Elon integrates himself into these processes, sleeping in the factories and without having a specific office to speed up deadlines where necessary.
Extremely tight deadlines are set at Tesla and SpaceX. For example, the development of the Tesla Model S and the Falcon 1 rocket was subject to very tight deadlines. In addition, Elon Musk applies the Parkinson technique in his personal life. Usu ally, he Divide your day into five-minute blocks
How Parkinson’s Law Can Help You With Your Projects or Work
You don’t have to be the CEO of a major corporation for the Parkinson’s technique to help you. In fact, you’ve probably used it at some point without realizing it. Who hasn’t studied for that exam at the last minute, handed in the assignment on the last day…? It’s all about “hack” our brain make people believe that this deadline is the deadline.
For example, if you have a meeting to prepare for Tuesday, don’t wait until Monday. Set a goal to do it by Friday so you have some wiggle room in case something unexpected comes up. Plus, it will help you eliminate distractions and be more focused. Obviously It’s a commitment to yourself.since Steve Jobs’ or Elon Musk’s employees didn’t actually know the real deadline. But from my own experience, I assure you that the technique works.
In Applesfera | How I Organized My iPhone to Be More Productive and Avoid Distractions
In Applesfera | Steve Jobs’ Seven Productivity Secrets He Applied in His Daily Life