When someone misses a deadline they set, how do you handle it?
Our reader poll today asks: When someone misses a deadline they set, how do you handle it?
- I hold them just as accountable as if I had set it. 59%
- I let it slide a bit because they’re learning to self-manage. 33%
- I blow it off — it was their deadline to set, and it’s theirs to manage. 7%
Deadlines matter. Whether you set the deadline or your team member does, holding them to it is highly important to the majority of you. Other commitments are often made based on that deadline and your team member slipping can have follow-on effects. For those of you who are more lenient, this is a teaching opportunity. Help your team members understand how to better estimate deadlines as well as plan and prioritize their work so they meet them whether those deadlines are self-imposed or not. Show them the consequences and knock-on effects of them missing that deadline. Demonstrate how their miss causes issues for their colleagues and customers. Over time their ability to set accurate deadlines and meet them as committed will improve. It’s one of the most critical skills you can teach your team members.
Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!
– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.
In my opinion, a word of caution to those who blow it off: That employee will never meet a deadline. There are professional, kind and respectful ways to hold people accountable. When a deadline is missed, there needs to be a discussion. Even better, have discussions before the deadline is reached so you are aware they are not on target. Then you can proactively help them meet the deadline.