Are You a Procrastinator or an Incubator? Take The Quiz!

In the article by Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener “Are You a Procrastinator or an Incubator?”, procrastination is explained expertly. “Procrastination is the result of having very little motivation for a boring or unpleasant activity and it is something everyone experiences. The real problem is that procrastination can sometimes overshadow a hidden strength,” Biswas-Diener states.

This article fascinated me, as I’m a certified Postive Psychology Coach through Robert’s organization and a student of Dr. Diener, who incidentally is the son of Dr. Ed Diener, one of the founders of Positive Psychology.

Time management is a huge issue in our personal lives, and certainly in the business sector. Leaders are responsible for not only their own time management, but also for their employees’ time management (in a broader sense – observing and adjusting their time as necessary). “Procrastinators may have a habit of putting off important work. They may not ever get to projects or leave projects half finished. Importantly, when they do complete projects, the quality might be mediocre as a result of their lack of engagement or inability to work well under pressure”, states Biswas-Diener.

The problem that arises of “not having enough time” is discussed in depth by Dr. Stephen Covey’s Table of Time Quadrants (pg. 50, The Prosperous Leader). By adapting the ideas I explain throughout Chapter 6, you can learn to manage and alter your procrastination to better your work ethic…and time management in your personal life!

Yet, we must remember what Biswas-Diener tells us, that incubation is not procrastination. It really comes down to the fact that everyone is different, and we must evaluate employees on a singular basis. Incubators tend to look like procrastinators - both work styles put off work until the last possible moment, but incubators produce superior work while procrastinators miss important deadlines and may produce shoddy work! Take a look at the questionnaire below and see the difference between the two.

______________________

Do you think you are an incubator, or that you may have an employee that is one? Take this quiz to find out:

Use the scale below to answer the following questions:

4 - Perfectly describes me

3 - Describes me somewhat

2 - Does not really describe me

1 - Does not describe me at all

A. ______ I always get my work completed on time.

B. ______ The quality of my work is superior.

C. ______ It takes a looming deadline to motivate me.

D. ______ When I finally get to work, I feel highly engaged.

E. ______ I surprise myself by moving into action at the last minute.