Perfectionism Under Pressure: Is It Responsibility or Risk Shifting?
True competence is about empowering the team to make decisions, rather than holding onto a perfect product that causes system delays.
When deadlines are tight, many people choose to make their work perfect. But from the perspective of those waiting for that output, the feeling is not reassurance, it is being left in limbo. They do not know whether to wait longer or act on what they have.
In urgent moments, the recipient does not need a polished product, they need a clear answer: To what extent can this be used? Where are the risks? What should we note if we decide based on this? When these things are not communicated, over-refining only forces the next person to guess more.
I have been in this position many times. My approach is to strictly follow the required scope for that moment, clarify the level of reliability, and submit on time. Once the milestone is cleared, I return to clean up and improve the quality. This helps the team move forward immediately instead of waiting in uncertainty.
From a manager's view, the greatest pressure is not an imperfect product, but not knowing if the product is usable. Perfectionism during a rush, without clarifying the context, is actually pushing the risk onto others.
True competence is not about making your part 100% safe. It is about helping others feel confident enough to make a decision. A leader understands that their value lies in reducing hesitation for the system, not in keeping their work beyond criticism.