How do you deal with procrastinators on your team?

Our reader poll today asks: How do you deal with procrastinators on your team?

• I give them artificial deadlines to create a buffer so things aren’t last minute. 26%
• I break tasks down for them and set smaller interim milestones. 34%
• I allocate time-sensitive work to other team members to avoid issues with this person.6%
•  I give them the deadline and step back. It’s up to them whether they hit it or not. 28%
• I fuel the last-minute frenzy because I’m also a procrastinator. 6%

Soon! I promise… Procrastination kills quality, increases stress, and generally can make work much less enjoyable. If you have procrastinators on your team, it seems the preferred approach is to either set artificial deadlines to force actions sooner or break tasks down into smaller chunks with interim milestones. While the former approach can work, it only works for a while until the procrastinator gets wise to your game. Once they know the deadline isn’t a real deadline, you’re back in the same jam. Consider setting smaller interim milestones. Coach them on how to break down their own work. Try to get to the root of the issue and coach them on it. Is it that they overestimate their capabilities? Underestimate a task’s complexity? Fail to account for common roadblocks? Lack the ability to break big projects into small tasks? Once you understand the root of their issues, you can help them improve their skills in that area. So what are you waiting for? Go help your procrastinators deal with their challenges. Now.

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.