How to Deal With Missed Deadlines

Deadlines occur in most industries, and you should always be aware of the consequences should you miss one. In a media environment, the product probably will be adversely affected. In other industries, a project may be able to absorb a missed deadline, but only if the mistake is rectified and the project is adapted to survive the delay.

Instructions

1. Contact your boss as soon as possible. For an editor or other supervisors, a missed deadline is something that requires damage control. The sooner people are alerted, the quicker they can devise a solution.

2. See where you can adapt the project to get it back on track. If the deadline occured during one of the early stages, perhaps you can skip a stage, combine subsequent stages, add personnel or schedule overtime to put things right.

3. Show documentation of how the deadline was missed. Your documentation can prove that the project was being worked on and was not just forgotten or sloughed off. Showing that you or your team made an effort is a mark in your favor.

4. Communicate any mitigating factors. Like it or not, you probably need to be your own advocate. Make sure all those above you know about anything out of your control that would have caused a delay. This way, you can try to avoid the entire blame for the lapse.

5. Modify future projects to reflect the missed deadline. If the slow progress of a project affects future work, provide for that so that a missed deadline doesn't domino into a habit or routine.

6. Show evidence that you can improve. Point to ways that you or your team can guarantee that the mistake won't be repeated. If you can convince the bosses that a one-time missed deadline is not a trend, you're on the way to getting back to business.