Meaning of “Done By”

Okay, everyone has heard, used or knows of the term “done by”. Hey Bob, I need that done by the 15^th. Mary, I want that done by the end of the month. Have that done by the morning. On and on and on.

Let’s take a look at the time span of “done by’”. How much space is there between the “d” and the “y”? For instance, what does done by the 15^th mean. It can be morning to midnight. A done by without specific time leads to confusion. The procrastinator will wait until midnight and call it good. The eager beaver will want it by 8:00am. You put the two together and you have the formula for poor performance.

Better communication would lend itself to, “I want that done by 8:00 am and on my desk.”