Call it what you want: a hot potato, a ticking time bomb. When you get a lead or an assignment with a deadline, the meter is running and time is not just money. It's the difference between an amateur and professional.

We make a big deal in the payments industry about allowing consumers to transact in their own preferred currencies and payment methods. The same rule applies to communication methods. This may sound elementary, but if someone calls in a pricing request, don't send them an email. Call them back. Respond in kind. Email to email. Phone to phone. SMS to SMS.

If you are a manager and a direct report doesn't get it, take time to explain the job. Don't make it personal. Keep it about the job and let them know the guidelines. Keep it simple. A deadline is a deadline is a deadline. I'm blown away when people don't understand that or maybe they are so stressed out by the idea that an article is due on a specific day and time that they choke.

You don't choke on the basketball court when the ref calls the final seconds of the game, so why be overwhelmed when your editor does the same thing?

Years ago, I met a former Green Sheet editor at a tradeshow when I was a contributing writer. I was turning in stories every month to build brand value and starting to like it. I'll never forget what he told me. He said, "You're a great writer but you have a month to develop and tweak your articles. We don't have that luxury at the news desk."

In journalism and in payments, it's all about speed. I love my deadlines. Besides holding me accountable for delivering accurate and timely assignments, they are the fossil fuel I run on to stay agile, grounded and on the hunt for great stories.