Why Everything Takes Longer Than You Think (Especially in Marketing)
How many times have you mapped out a “quick” marketing project…
Only to watch it balloon into a two-month saga with 18 review cycles, 27 Slack messages, and a last-minute “Can we add one more thing?” from the VP?
Been there. Too many times.
But here’s the thing I wish someone had drilled into me earlier in my career (and maybe into the heads of a few execs too):
The problem isn’t that you or your team aren’t working fast enough. It’s that your expectations were never realistic to begin with.
And understanding why this happens is a productivity superpower, especially for marketing leaders trying to manage expectations up and down the chain.
So let’s unpack it.
1. You’re Underestimating Decision Time
Most marketing leaders plan for execution time like writing the copy, designing the graphics, building the landing page.
But they forget to plan for decision time:
Getting signoff from legal
Getting alignment from brand
Chasing down that elusive VP for final approval
Each of these steps adds invisible days (sometimes weeks). And the thing is that they often happen serially, not in parallel.
You can’t hack your way out of this unless you explicitly build review timelines into your project plans. Trust me, your future self will thank you.
2. Marketing Projects Are More Complex Than They Look
A seemingly simple project ("Let’s do a campaign around our new feature!") quickly turns into:
Campaign strategy
Landing page copy + design + dev
Email nurture sequence
Social content in 4 formats
Ad copy variations
Video script + production
Analytics setup
… and about 10 stakeholder check-ins.
Every added channel and asset increases coordination overhead exponentially.
Yet when we scope timelines, we rarely factor in that complexity properly. We assume “a few hours” here and there, but the integration points and coordination time are where projects really stretch out.
3. Work Happens in an Imperfect Environment
Here’s another mistake I see leaders make (I’ve done it too):
You assume your team will have full focus on your project.
Spoiler: they won’t.
People are context-switching constantly:
Supporting existing campaigns
Answering internal requests
Attending back-to-back meetings
Covering for vacationing teammates
Putting out fires (always, always fires)
In real life, most marketing team members can’t devote 6 straight hours to just your thing. Work happens in pockets, and progress is incremental.
If you scope projects assuming ideal conditions, you will always be disappointed. Build buffer. Always.
4. Creativity Takes Real Time (And Mental Space)
This one is particularly near and dear to me:
Creative work (writing, designing, ideating) can’t always be forced into a sprint. Yes, deadlines help. But high-quality creative output often requires:
Time to think
Time to draft and revise
Time to step away and come back with fresh eyes
Rushing this process leads to mediocre work that will come back to bite you later (rework, low engagement, poor brand experience).
If you want your team to produce their best work, they need time. This is not inefficiency — it’s how creativity works.
Plan for Reality, Not Fantasy
When I coach marketing leaders or help teams streamline their workflows, this is one of the first mindset shifts we tackle:
You don’t need to squeeze your team harder. You need to scope your projects smarter.
That means:
→ Doubling your initial timeline estimates
→ Building in explicit time for reviews and decision-making
→ Communicating those realistic timelines upward
→ Defending creative time as non-negotiable
Final Thought: It’s Not Just You
Every marketing leader I know struggles with this. Heck, I still catch myself underestimating how long things will take.
But once you adopt the lens that “Everything takes longer than you think…and that’s normal,” you’ll start planning with more grace, leading with more empathy, and running a team that burns less midnight oil and delivers better work.
And that, my friend, is a productivity win worth chasing.
