By Patricia Monaghan

Why is so hard to get employees to consistently meet deadlines? Why is it that a group of reasonably intelligent adults cannot collaborate to finish projects on time? Why does getting the work done seem impossible?

Every employer has run into a situation with an employee, or several employees, who have trouble meeting deadlines. This situation is frustrating for everyone involved; however, it is fairly easy to avoid. There are several criteria to consider when setting deadlines.

It Must be Possible

First and foremost, a deadline must be challenging but reasonable. A deadline that presents little challenge is likely to be left to the last minute, employees procrastinate on easy projects. When setting a challenging deadline you’ve got to keep in mind that there is a not-so-fine line between challenging and unmanageable. If an employee believes that a deadline is impossible to meet, it’s not going to be met. An employee will not work harder to achieve an unreasonable target, they’ll take on a defeatist attitude, become stressed and frustrated and probably hand in a poorly done, or not yet completed assignment.

What to Consider when Setting a Deadline
1. 1) Employee Workload- If you are about assign major project with a tight deadline, first consider what the employee usually does during throughout the day. Consider other projects that your employee is taking on, and be able to rank them by priority. If you are expecting an employee to take on a new assignment, there will be something else that will have to wait. Keep in mind that time is budgeted based on expected workload, if a new assignment is to be added to the load, it will have to replace another.
2. 2) Time- How long should it take to complete the assignment? How long does it actually take? It may be a good idea to ask the employee taking on the project exactly how long it takes, and listen to the answer. When an employer asks someone complete a task, they may not understand the complete process undertaken from conception to completion. Make sure your deadline allows for the amount of time taken to finish the project.

It must have a Purpose

You’ll have a hard time getting an employee to follow arbitrary deadlines, especially if they are difficult to meet. If you have a habit of demanding assignments by hard deadlines, and then not putting them to use immediately, you are going to find that employees get complacent about getting things in on time. If you have many small deadlines throughout any given time period, and these deadlines do not necessarily have to be finished by their due date, consider making them all due at the end of the time period (weekly, or monthly). One large deadline is much easier for employees to meet then several small ones, and it allows them to prioritize their work, increasing productivity and efficiency.

There Must be a Reward

A reward for completing a difficult task by a difficult deadline does not have to be monetary; it can be as simple as a “good job” and a pat on the back, finishing the project is usually a reward in itself. Be very careful that you do not punish an employee for completing an assignment on time. If employees are consistently meeting tough deadlines, it is likely because they are working at break neck pace and taking work home with them. This will not happen forever. Increasing the frequency and the intensity of deadlines because you see employees are meeting existing ones is a poor idea; you’ll just end up with an exhausted, burnt out, and stressed staff that is falling behind on all of they’re deadlines.

Once you’ve set a target that is reasonable and logical, be sure to keep in constant communication with employees. Give them a chance to voice concerns, and discuss any possible delays. Do not get angry over a potential delay, these things happen and are sometimes uncontrollable. Your employees may need additional assistance or resources to meet your deadlines.