If your team is missing deadlines, it can have far-reaching consequences throughout the entire company. If it happens once in a while, it may not be a big deal. But regularly missed deadlines can have a big impact on your bottom line.
What can you do to get your team members back on track? Here are some tips to consider:
Ensure the deadlines you are setting are reasonable.
As a leading South Florida temporary staffing agency, Future Force knows before you commit to a deadline, make sure it’s realistic in the first place. One of the biggest reasons employees could be missing deadlines is because they aren’t reasonable. So before you set an important deadline, do some leg work ahead of time to ensure the timeline won’t set your team up for failure.
Be clear about timelines.
If you need a proposal by Monday from Sara in communications, don’t say “I’d really like to have that proposal by Monday.” That approach communicates the proposal would be nice-to-have, but isn’t essential. Instead, be firm and absolute when it comes to important deadlines. In other words, say something like: “I need that proposal first thing Monday.”
Prioritize tasks.
Some projects are more critical than others. So if you have a big deadline coming up, work with your team to prioritize their tasks. Make sure they understand what duties absolutely must get done and what can be put on the back burner. If there’s a lack of manpower – and you can’t get the work done without extra hands – consider working with a temporary staffing agency to bring in supplemental staff to get the job done.
Make sure your team knows they are accountable.
If your employees don’t meet deadlines, and you don’t hold them accountable, then you’re going to continue to have problems. It’s up to you to hold them accountable and to communicate the serious nature of the deadline. Explain to them how missing milestones and deadlines impacts the team as a whole and set out a plan for getting back on track in terms of progress.
Find out about obstacles.
If your people are regularly missing deadlines, ask them why. They may not have the right resources or tools in place to get the work done on time. Once you know about any obstacles they may be facing, you can effectively deal with them.
Celebrate the wins.
When your team does meet tough deadlines, celebrate. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts and contributions. When you praise and recognize them, they’ll be more motivated to succeed going forward.
If you need supplemental help to complete a big project, call the team at Future Force. As a leading South Florida temporary staffing agency, we have a broad network of skilled and reliable people, ready to go to work. Contact Future Force today to learn more.