"Later" is a Business Killer. How to create urgency, the key to change.
Angela Shurina
Translating business KPIs into effective culture change strategy. We help large innovation-focused companies build high-performing, change-capable culture that maximizes ROI of innovation, time, talent and technology.
"We’ll have to wait until July."
That’s what the executive told me in a meeting when I pitched a project. Budget cycles, approvals, processes—all the usual reasons for delay. I wasn’t surprised. I had expected it.
But walking out of that meeting, I had a clear thought:
If something isn’t urgent, it doesn’t get done.
And not just for companies—for me, for you, for everyone.
"Without a sense of urgency, people…won’t make needed sacrifices. Instead, they cling to the status quo and resist." ~ John Kotter, a leading voice on Leading Change.
If it’s not urgent enough to disrupt the inertia of the status quo, the inertia of your day-to-day, then it gets pushed to later—and later is where dreams, opportunities, and momentum go to die.
That moment made me rethink two things:
Because the reason things aren’t moving faster isn’t that they can’t—it’s that the pressure isn’t high enough yet.
I did some research…??
How to Create Urgency for Clients
?? Quantify the Cost of Waiting – Show them exactly how much money, growth, or opportunity they lose per month by delaying action. If a decision delays 6 months, and that costs $500K in lost revenue, they feel it.
?? Make It a Time-Sensitive Opportunity – Scarcity moves people. What can you offer with an expiration date to push decisions faster? A special bonus, a fast-track implementation, or something they can’t get if they wait?
?? Tie It to Their Personal Stakes – Find out what they are pressured by (bonuses, promotions, KPIs). If the decision-maker needs a big win this quarter to hit their bonus, urgency becomes automatic.
? Get a Quick Win for Them – Can you create a small, fast success? A quick fix, a small pilot—something that proves value now and makes them want to act bigger and faster?
领英推荐
"If you do not create real urgency, change becomes just another task on a long to-do list."
How to Maintain Urgency for Yourself
?? Daily & Weekly Milestones – Shrink execution cycles. What can I make happen TODAY that moves the needle? No waiting for "the right time"—make it the right time.
? Accountability with Stakes – If I don’t hit a key milestone, I owe a friend $100. Real pressure = real movement.
?? Public Commitments – Announcing key goals on LinkedIn or IG forces me to show up and execute. No hiding.
?? Act Like Time is Running Out – If I only had 3 months to make my biggest goal happen, what would I do differently? That’s the level of urgency I need to operate from daily.
Because here’s the truth: Some people stay on the same level for years! Others level up every year, month, week.
It’s not a difference in talent. It’s a difference in approach and hunger.
You can train both.
So now, I’m asking myself—and I’m asking you:
?? What’s the most urgent milestone you need to hit today?
Because speed isn’t just an advantage. It’s the whole game.
Coach Angela,
Helping You to Feel the Rush
"A higher rate of urgency does not imply ever-present panic, anxiety, or fear. It means a state in which complacency is virtually absent."
Great post! Creating a sense of urgency is key to driving momentum and achieving goals faster, whether it’s in business or personal projects. It’s a reminder that waiting too long can let opportunities slip away. In the patent world, for example, delays in filing applications can cost businesses valuable time and money. That’s why we’ve developed PowerPatent to help patent law firms create better and faster patent applications, reducing that costly waiting period.