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Last updated on Feb 19, 2025
  1. All
  2. Soft Skills
  3. Teamwork

Your team keeps missing project deadlines. How can you uncover the root causes?

Missing project deadlines can derail progress and morale, but identifying the root causes is the first step to getting back on track. Here's how to uncover and address the issues:

  • Conduct a thorough review: Analyze past projects to identify patterns or recurring problems.

  • Improve communication: Ensure everyone is clear on their tasks and deadlines.

  • Provide adequate resources: Make sure your team has the tools and support they need to succeed.

What strategies have helped you address missed deadlines? Share your thoughts.

Teamwork Teamwork

Teamwork

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Last updated on Feb 19, 2025
  1. All
  2. Soft Skills
  3. Teamwork

Your team keeps missing project deadlines. How can you uncover the root causes?

Missing project deadlines can derail progress and morale, but identifying the root causes is the first step to getting back on track. Here's how to uncover and address the issues:

  • Conduct a thorough review: Analyze past projects to identify patterns or recurring problems.

  • Improve communication: Ensure everyone is clear on their tasks and deadlines.

  • Provide adequate resources: Make sure your team has the tools and support they need to succeed.

What strategies have helped you address missed deadlines? Share your thoughts.

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
147 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Muskan Aggarwal

    Senior HR |Customs Wise| MBA- Human Resource

    • Report contribution

    Gather the team to discuss what went wrong. This could include: Reviewing what went according to plan and what didn’t. Asking team members to identify obstacles they faced. Exploring whether there was a lack of clarity around the scope, tasks, or expectations. Analyze Project Planning and Estimation: Evaluate if timelines were realistic to begin with. Sometimes deadlines are set without enough input from the team, or the complexity of tasks is underestimated. Look at how tasks were broken down. Were they too vague or poorly defined?

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    21
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Emmanuel Valencia

    𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 𝗛𝗥 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 | 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 | 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲: ❞𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗬𝗨𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗢 𝗔 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗦❞

    • Report contribution

    Para la planificación, así como para la cronología e implementación de proyectos y tiempos una herramienta es la gráfica de Gantt y otra es la matriz de Eisenhower. Ambas bien implementadas a parte de medir las actividades y los tiempos de ejecución se va llevando cronológicamente, lo que hará más fácil que el equipo tenga siempre en radar los proyectos que se establecen y cumplirlos de manera adecuada.

    Translated
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    7
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    Milorad Bakić

    Global Senior Inventory Analyst

    • Report contribution

    At the beginning of each project there has to be defined timeline and project steps. Each team member has to confirm understanding of the role and commit the time needed for each step. Best practice is to maintaine time needed for each step and to compare with the initial timeline. With the identified gaps there has to be detected if there is some regular work that influenced on it or there were some exceptional cases within project that caused delays. By regular discussion on what was done and the timing it can be recognized what was the issue. Regular tracking and understanding od the effort each member puta into project is important to project lead so that it can be tracked and ensured everything is according to plan.

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    6
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    Ma. Glichelle Cabrera Malana

    Lead Passive Tester | Supply Chain Management

    • Report contribution

    To address missed deadlines, I analyze past projects to identify root causes, improve communication with regular check-ins and clear updates, set realistic timelines by breaking down tasks into manageable steps, and ensure the team has the necessary resources, tools, and support to work efficiently and stay on track.

    Like
    4
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    Pragya Maheshwari

    Chartered Accountant | Distinguished Toastmaster

    • Report contribution

    Solution to any problem lies in details. To identify those details, I always prefer my favorite W word "Why". Keep asking why within team, the answer to it will lead you to the reason of Missing Deadlines. Just one tip , remember to be honest and unbiased throughout this discussion.

    Like
    4
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    Contributor profile photo
    Ivan M.

    A Certified Environmental Engineer||NEBOSH IGC Certified||Occupational Health and safety expert ||ISO 45001:2018||ISO 14001:2015 Certified,

    • Report contribution

    With reference to the on-going project we currently have(50MWp solar power project), as a custom planning is a crucial step in ensuring the project's exact targets are met. In our project despite the existing timelines and projects milestones to be met, we also faced delays in some areas, and so we initiated a program called "3 Week Look Ahead". This particular program tends to dive deep into the plans, clearly analyzing the prior steps three weeks earlier (before execution of the particular task) if they are in alignment with present/existing site conditions in all areas, such as finances, manpower, machines, designs etc. This program has helped us catch up and act on most of the delays before they actually happen.

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    4
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    Agarshanan K.

    Clinical Research Coordinator | BBioMedSci

    • Report contribution

    Talk to each team member, identify bottlenecks they are facing thats causing delay, find common issues and discuss with the team to come up with solutions, provide external assistance if needed. Set internal early deadline for the project.

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    4
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    Manuhaar Dhamija

    Management Consulting Manager at Accenture (Software & Platforms) | MSc FRM, Trinity College Dublin | Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University Ex: Deloitte and EY

    • Report contribution

    Some initials ways could be to: 1) Allow open communication within the team 2) Review the timelines again 3) Ask the team what is their perspective on it, and document a ‘path to green’ 4) Follow up closely by holding daily huddles and tracking progress 5) Set up solid Governance in the team

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    3
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    Jayant Kumar

    Sourcing | Vendor Development | Team Lead | Purchase

    • Report contribution

    First and most important is to have timely reviews It can be intially on mothly basis, later fortnightly and going to weekly and daily basis as soon as deadlines are approaching With regular reviews team members themselves will be able to find out the root causes of missing deadlines. Further need to check whether work load is distributed evenly or not which can be one of the reason due to which they are not able to focus on deadlines. Last but not the least always be freindly to team members so that they shouldn't hesitant to share personal issues (if any) due to which they are not able to focus. Note: These are personal opinions. Suggestions are welcome.

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    3
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