It happens to the best of us. Maybe accounting didn’t get you the numbers on time. Maybe the design work you thought would take you four hours is taking more like 14. Maybe Taco Tuesday turned into Food Poisoning Tuesday, and there’s just no way you can drag yourself to the office to finish Wednesday’s client report.
Use The Muse to find a job at a company with a culture you love. Select the career path that aligns with you:
In any case, you’re going to miss a deadline, and you know your boss, your customer, or whoever else you owe your work to is not going to be excited.
As a writer and an editor, I’ve unfortunately been on both sides of the missed deadline dilemma. And here are a few things I’ve tried and seen that will help you get the extension you need while keeping your relationships intact.
Meeting deadlines is a key responsibility in most jobs. However, even the most organized and diligent workers miss deadlines occasionally due to unforeseen circumstances. When you do miss a deadline, it’s important to handle it professionally and promptly. Take accountability, communicate transparently, and get back on track. In this article, we’ll explore the best practices to follow when you’ve missed a deadline.
Notify Stakeholders Quickly
If you realize you’re going to miss a deadline, notify involved parties as soon as possible Briefly explain the situation and provide a reasonable estimate of when you can deliver Last minute surprises frustrate people more than early transparency. Be proactive in managing expectations.
Once you actually miss the deadline contact the stakeholders immediately. Delaying communication only makes the situation worse. Even if you don’t have a complete solution yet, a quick email call or conversation acknowledging the issue demonstrates accountability.
Provide a Brief Explanation
When informing stakeholders that you missed a deadline, provide a high-level explanation of what happened. For example:
-
An unexpected situation arose with another client project that required immediate attention
-
A key team member responsible for performing [task] is out sick.
-
A technology glitch impacted the timeline for completing [task].
-
The scope expanded based on additional requirements from [stakeholder], impacting delivery.
Don’t get into lengthy details or excuses. A brief explanation provides context and shows you are taking ownership of the issue.
Apologize Sincerely
Offering an apology is important when you let people down. Focus on sincerity over formality. “I’m very sorry I missed the deadline” goes further than a generic “please accept my apologies for this situation.”
Take a collaborative tone, emphasizing that you’re all working together towards a solution. People respond better to a genuine, human apology than an impersonal one.
Propose a New Timeframe
Providing a new estimate for delivery is expected when you miss a deadline. Even if the exact date is TBD, suggest a reasonable range based on the situation, such as:
- By the end of this week
- Within the next 3 business days
- By early next week
If you’re still evaluating the full impact, assure the stakeholder you’ll provide an update with a new timeline as soon as possible. Continually keep people informed.
Outline Your Action Plan
Briefly explain how you plan to get back on track, such as:
- Bringing on additional resources to expedite completion.
- Removing other lower priority tasks from your plate.
- Working overtime over the weekend.
- Starting the review process early for quicker approvals.
- Automating particular steps to accelerate the process.
This demonstrates you have a solutions-focused approach.
Express Appreciation for Understanding
Thank stakeholders for their patience and understanding given the unforeseeable circumstances. This helps maintain goodwill and trust. If they seem dissatisfied, empathize and acknowledge their frustration is warranted.
Learn from the Experience
Analyze what went wrong so the issue can be prevented going forward:
- Was the deadline unreasonable or vague from the start? Seek clarity next time.
- Are you overcommitting on too many projects? Improve prioritization.
- Are dependencies between team members hampering deadlines? Enhance collaboration.
- Are you struggling with particular skills or technology? Pursue training.
Document lessons learned and process improvements to implement. Turn the negative into a growth experience.
Follow Up Diligently
Once you’ve established a new timeline, follow up consistently to reassure the stakeholder. Send periodic updates on your progress. Manage expectations proactively if any new issues arise that could impact your revised commitment.
Meeting your new deadline shows you’re dependable despite some occasional hiccups.
Missing deadlines happens sometimes – the key is handling it properly through transparency, accountability and diligence. Being proactive in your communication and providing solutions demonstrates professionalism and maturity. Keep stakeholders informed, learn from the experience, and get back on track for delivering in the future. With the right follow up, you can maintain strong relationships and trust.
Give as Much Advance Notice as Possible
There’s nothing more infuriating (not to mention unprofessional) than, “Oops, I missed today’s deadline. Can I turn it in next week?”
Obviously, there are exceptions (see: food poisoning), but for the most part, you should try to give as much notice as possible if you think you’re going to be delivering something late. It’s much easier for the other party to plan around you if you say something like, “I’m just digging into the project, and it looks like the data collection is going to take a few days longer than I originally anticipated. Can I extend the deadline from next Friday to the following?” In fact, most people will be perfectly happy to extend a deadline when given a good reason. Well in advance.
On that note, it’s always professional to explain why you’re going to be turning something in late. Of course, not all deadlines are created equal—a client deliverable set in stone in a contract is a little different than a progress report you mentioned you’d get to your co-worker “sometime next week”—and a different level of explanation will be required for each. But a good rule of thumb is to succinctly explain why things aren’t going according to plan, without blaming anyone or going on and on about your sick dog, broken computer, or mounting to-do list.
A simple outline of the facts (“unfortunately, I’ve run into some snags with the reporting software”) is typically sufficient. That said, you can do yourself a serious favor if you…
Give an Option or a Bonus
One of my all-time favorite writers also has one of my all-time favorite I’m-going-to-miss-a-deadline strategies: She gives me the option of whether to have her bust her you-know-what to turn it in on time or to give her an extension. Think: “I’m in the middle of a project that’s taking quite a bit longer than expected. Will it screw up your timing if I deliver the draft tomorrow? If so, I’ll crank it out tonight. If not, I’d so appreciate an extension and will have to you tomorrow!” A vast majority of the time, I’m happy to oblige.
Similarly, you can always offer to deliver the finished portion of the work. Think: “I can definitely have pages 1-6 of the report to you by tonight—or I can deliver all 10 pages by tomorrow at noon.”
If you’re really putting someone in a tough place by missing a deadline, think about what you could offer that would make up for the inconvenience. I’ve had writers offer to send me two articles instead of one to make up for a missed deadline—or if you’re working with a client, you can offer to deliver an add-on to your product or service or a slight reduction in fee. You may be putting someone out once—but if you help him or her out in another way, that’s bound to leave a positive impression.
How to Answer: “tell me about a time you missed a deadline” in an interview!
What should you do if you miss a deadline?
Once you’ve missed a deadline, you’ll want to own up to your mistake and acknowledge that you know it was wrong. Reach out to your superior as soon as you realize your mishap–via email, a phone call or in-person–to own up to it. Apologizing professionally and taking responsibility for your actions are incredibly important as part of any team.
How can you prevent missed deadlines?
Preventing missed deadlines is about more than brute-force productivity. Instead of just trying to work faster and get more done, it’s better to consider the underlying issues contributing to the problem. That way, you can deliver work on time without overworking and burning your team out in the process.
How do I handle missing a deadline?
Here are some additional tips to help you handle missing a deadline and prevent it from happening again in the future: If you notice that a project is taking you longer to complete than expected, let your supervisor know ahead of time.
Why do I miss deadlines?
Contrary to popular belief, missing deadlines isn’t always caused by bad work habits or productivity issues. There are lots of factors that can cause you and your team to miss deadlines, including: Unclear priorities: Not understanding what’s most important and what you should work on first.
