“I never really thought about it,” Dale replied. “I figured most things would get done when they got done. Sometimes, I push people to get something done faster, when we need it. But you are right, thinking about the Time Span of a goal is usually an afterthought.”

“So, what happens when we set the Time Span for a goal?” I asked.

“It sets a follow-up date,” Dale nodded.

“And what else?” I pushed.

“Well, if the Time Span is short, it dictates the timing of the action, how urgent something is.”

“And if the Time Span is short, what impact does that have on the quality of the output?”

“Obviously, if we are in a hurry, we might compromise on the quality of the work product,” he confirmed.

“So the by when governs the timing of the action, the pace of the action, the urgency of the action, the ultimate quality of the action, the priority of the action and in many cases, whether the action occurs at all.”