Your team member keeps missing project deadlines. How can you get them back on track?

In many cases Team members miss asking help and many times unintentionally. Two ways probe them and buy their support to give them support. This gives a balance between autonomy and accomplishment. Even better chalk out items break down and talk them through it. Most of the times anxiety and doubt takes over and all we need is a simple conversation making a powerful impact.

Missing deadlines starts from a few fundamental problems - 1. Projects are not broken down into a task level which has clear hours assigned. 2. None is tracking/monitoring whether daily goals are met. 3. There are no tools used or practiced regularly. 4. Unrealistic time assigned. It happens when the analyst is either a rookie or it was an unrealistic sale. Solution To solve #1, the scoping has to be absolutely detailed. We have some great examples of how to scope a project properly. #3 can be solved using tools like JIRA. For #2, I would recommend both depth hand project manager and a project audit team who would randomly check projects every week. #4 can only be solved with experience. There is no shortcut, unfortunately.

When a team member repeatedly misses project deadlines, it's crucial to address the issue constructively. Start by having a private conversation to understand the root cause. Listen attentively and empathize, as the reasons for missed deadlines can vary from personal challenges to confusion about project expectations. This dialogue is essential for uncovering any hidden issues. Once you have a clear picture, collaborate on a plan to tackle these specific challenges. This plan might include setting clearer goals, offering additional resources, or providing training. Regular check-ins can help monitor progress and offer support, ensuring the team member stays on track and feels supported in their role.

If team member is missing any deadline, then it is the responsibility of team leader/manager to get connected with the member. Many times, people do not tell that they are stuck in work and try to complete it without any help, but the manager/leader should check frequently if any of the member is stuck anywhere so they can communicate and find the solution.

It is improtant to assess and understand all perspectives on why deadlines are being consistently missed. Is it an individual level problem or is there an underlying root cause that has a larger repercussion - its key to determine that. Based on this, appropriate next steps and actions need to be taken, and effective communication with key parties will be key. Communication is key - there will be different modes of communication based on the stage of the discussion. Empathy based communication to begin with, and consistent reinforcing communication, and if swift course correction doesn't happen even after expectation setup, accommodations, support, and milestone setting is done, more stringent communication techniques will be required.

If your team is working on multiple projects at a time without time slot, then this will happens for sure. So, first of all decide what is the priority one and then in remaining time plan for project. You need to allocate time for pending project work, critical issues in new and old project, meeting time which most company miss, add Time log for each employee so they can monitor their allocated time and review it before the Audit of failure. I am doing same with my team since 20 years and we miss deadlines if project requirements or additions come but try to be on time.

Look at the team member’s current workload and prioritize the tasks. The team member probably doesn’t realize how important the project is, and needs to understand the importance of finishing it on time. Put together a work plan just for the project that is critical. Discover if there are any roadblocks and help the team member with those roadblocks. When you come to agreement on what needs to be done, and when, make sure the team member knows that you are there to help. Any issues that arise you will assist.

Once you've identified the root causes of missed deadlines, focus on setting clear, achievable goals. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable parts with mini-deadlines. This approach reduces overwhelm and clarifies the path forward. Ensure these goals are agreed upon and align with the project timeline for effective progress tracking.

The key word here is 'root causes'! These can take many forms : for example one cause usually underestimated is company culture; where staff are new to projects and do not perceive the aims or urgency of the project...and your only flag to this is this one employee! Is non performance due to shortfalls elsewhere and project staff are being given low priority when delivery is requested from the mainstream! - where else is this situation being encountered! It is important that planning at team level is detailed with very specific tasks & timelines and resources assigned - (Is your leave program controlled/approved by the project or have staff gone away during critical project tasks.)- I think a good pm will learn & dolve

Provide support and resources to assist team members in meeting deadlines. This can include offering additional training, access to software tools, or collaboration with other team members. Encourage them to seek help when necessary and ensure they understand the available resources. This approach fosters a supportive environment and enhances productivity.

Offer the necessary support to help the team members succeed. This could include additional training, resources, or tools they might need to perform their tasks efficiently. Pair them with a more experienced colleague for mentorship or guide time management techniques. Providing support demonstrates that you are invested in their success and willing to help them overcome obstacles.

Regular check-ins are pivotal for project management, ensuring progress monitoring, feedback provision, and issue detection. They sustain project momentum by keeping teams focused and accountable, fostering a supportive environment. Early issue identification allows timely interventions, preventing setbacks. Demonstrating commitment to team success, check-ins enable adjustments to plans as needed, promoting adaptability and alignment with project goals for successful outcomes.

I had a team member consistently missing deadlines, causing project delays. I started weekly check-ins to monitor progress, provided constructive feedback, and set realistic milestones using Trello and Jira to visualize tasks and track progress. We also utilized Zoom for regular virtual meetings to ensure seamless communication. This approach helped identify roadblocks early, and we worked together to overcome them. The team member felt supported, and we got the project back on track, meeting the deadline.

Missed deadlines often indicate an unrealistic workload. It's crucial to regularly evaluate each team member's workload and redistribute tasks as necessary to ensure fairness and maintain achievable deadlines. Adjusting workloads helps reduce burnout and boosts productivity, fostering a supportive work environment where everyone can thrive. This approach underscores leadership's dedication to aligning workload with team capabilities, enhancing project efficiency, and ensuring consistent deadline achievement. Regular workload assessments and adjustments demonstrate responsive management, promoting sustainable practices and bolstering team morale and performance.

Missed deadlines often indicate an unrealistic workload. I recommend the following steps: 1. Assess Workloads: Review each team member's tasks and commitments. 2. Redistribute Tasks: Balance the workload to ensure no one is overburdened. 3. Prevent Burnout: A fair distribution helps maintain productivity and morale. 4. Set Realistic Deadlines: Ensure deadlines are achievable based on the adjusted workloads. By managing workloads effectively, you can prevent burnout and improve the likelihood of meeting deadlines.

If this is an agile project, It is worth while looking at the team's average velocity from prior sprints. Adjust the future sprints based on the team velocity. If a team is constantly missing their sprint commitemnents, It could affect the team morale also.

Share the workload between teammates, thus giving some relief from overloading. Sometimes this needs cross skilling technically and on domain. Doing that cross skilling as part of risk management could be considered.

There are several factors for this to happen: (1) Employee is operating out of his/her area of expertise. More often than not, managers set unrealistic expectations and evaluate their employees on them. There should be enough guidance and time for the employee to become professional in the new role/skill. (2) Employee is passing through a rough season. Maybe a health issue or a difficult situation. That's why non-technical one-on-one sessions are important. Getting to know employees and their current non-work situations. We as managers have to remember that employees are people and as such they are susceptible to difficult situations. Someone going through these situations doesn't mean they stopped caring about their job.

Here’s how PM can enhance team productivity and organizational health: Timely Employee Turnover Proactively manage employee turnover by timely identifying and addressing performance issues. Allow employees to leave on their own if they are not a good fit for the team. Collect anonymous feedback from team members using third-party services to identify toxic individuals within the team, including team leaders. Recognize When Diplomacy Fails Understand that diplomacy may not always resolve conflicts, especially when stakeholders are being misled without their knowledge. In cases where team members are intentionally providing misleading information, direct intervention may be necessary instead of relying solely on diplomatic approaches.

Improve Feedback Channels Ensure that feedback does not only flow through direct supervisors, as this can create blind spots. Example: Implement anonymous surveys or feedback tools to gather insights directly from team members, bypassing potential biases from immediate supervisors. Identify and Mitigate Ineffective Leadership Be vigilant about the decisions made by middle and upper management that may seem ineffective or detrimental to experienced team members. Example: Experienced team members may notice flaws in decisions that are not obvious to company owners. Use their insights to guide better decision-making.

Prevent Organizational Downfall Be aware of the risks of poor decision-making at higher levels, which can lead to the company's financial decline and budget mismanagement. Example: History shows that poor strategic decisions, unnoticed by company owners but apparent to seasoned employees, can lead to bankruptcy and misuse of funds. Promote Accountability Foster a culture of accountability where team leaders and managers are held responsible for their decisions and actions. Example: Use transparent metrics and performance reviews to ensure that team leaders are making decisions in the best interest of the company and the team.

If the project manager asks a person to do a task that they are unable to deliver, whether for personal reasons or lack of technical skills, the manager has failed.