You’re struggling to handle a team member who’s missing deadlines. What’s the best way to approach them?

1 Identify the root cause

Before you confront your team member, try to understand why they are missing deadlines. Is it because they have too much workload, lack the necessary skills or resources, face personal or professional challenges, or have poor time management or communication skills? You can gather some information by reviewing their performance, feedback, and previous interactions. You can also ask them directly in a private and supportive manner, without accusing or blaming them.

2 Set clear expectations and goals

Once you have identified the root cause, you need to set clear expectations and goals for your team member. Explain how their missing deadlines affect the project, the team, and the customer, and what you expect from them moving forward. Provide them with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with the project objectives and their role. Make sure they understand and agree with the expectations and goals, and document them in writing.

3 Provide support and feedback

Setting expectations and goals is not enough; you also need to provide support and feedback to your team member. Support can include offering training, coaching, mentoring, or additional resources to help them improve their skills, knowledge, or motivation. Feedback can include praising their progress, acknowledging their challenges, and suggesting areas for improvement. You should provide support and feedback regularly, not just at the end of the project or when problems arise.

4 Monitor and follow up

Another important step is to monitor and follow up on your team member’s performance. You can use tools such as project management software, reports, or meetings to track their progress, deliverables, and deadlines. You can also check in with them frequently to see how they are doing, if they need any help, or if they have any concerns. If they are still missing deadlines, you may need to take further action, such as adjusting their workload, reassigning their tasks, or escalating the issue to a higher authority.

5 Communicate and collaborate

Throughout the process, you should communicate and collaborate with your team member in a respectful and constructive way. Avoid using harsh or negative language, making assumptions or judgments, or imposing your opinions or solutions. Instead, use open-ended questions, active listening, empathy, and positive reinforcement. Try to understand their perspective, acknowledge their feelings, and express your appreciation. Also, involve them in finding solutions and making decisions that affect their work.

6 Review and celebrate

The final step is to review and celebrate your team member’s performance and achievements. You can use tools such as surveys, feedback forms, or self-assessments to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. You can also use metrics such as quality, efficiency, or customer satisfaction to measure their results. Based on the review, you can provide recognition, rewards, or incentives to motivate them and boost their morale. You can also celebrate their success with the rest of the team and share the lessons learned.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?