Trying to remain a relevant part of today’s twenty first century business world is no easy task at all, this having been said that in order to slowly but surely climb the ladder of success, you have to ensure that at all times as well as under all circumstances that you are constantly bringing your A game and delivering top quality work.
Though adhering to deadlines is an absolute must, yet sometimes it happens that due to certain unforeseen incidents you are going to miss your deadline, in such a case, go through this list to find out what to do.
Going to Miss a Deadline? 16 Tips for Managing Time:
1. Try your level best to increase your speed:
Mostly employees are given adequate time to submit their work, so the fact that you have been unable to submit your work within the stipulated time, points that you are certainly not as quick as you need to be.
So you should try your level best to focus on your task at hand and then enjoy later on. Unless you focus on your work and give your one hundred percent to it when working on a project, you will never be able to give up your work on time. It is important to remember that when you do something like this it reflects very badly on you as a worker.
2. Ensure you do not miss the deadline for a huge margin:
Missing your deadline is a big no no in the corporate world. The business world is a cut throat one indeed where time and money are both valuable resources and you should never waste either one of them.
So, ensure that you try your level best to finish your work within the timeframe which is allotted to you. If you know for a fact that you will be missing your deadline, then make sure that your are not missing it by a huge margin. If you think that you have been allotted less time then you should make it a point to mention this immediately.
3. Ensure that you think of all that went wrong:
Initially in your career you might find it a little challenging to keep up with all the work place pressures, this might cause you to miss a few deadlines early on, yet this having been said, you should ensure that with each project entrusted to you, you keep on growing as a worker as well as learning new things.
If you learn from your mistakes and make a mental note of them as well, then you will be able to emerge even stronger after you hit a hurdle. Just ensure that you are not letting any negativity take a toll on you and you will be able to gain success soon.
4. Try to improve your method of working on assignments:
It is needless to say that no two human beings are alike and everyone as his or her own unique way of approaching a task at hand. Some people prefer to finish off all their work before hand because they feel more uneasy as a deadline is approaching, yet on the other end of the spectrum there are those individuals who prefer to burn the midnight oil because they believe that the pressure really brings out the best in them.
Both these approaches have their pros and cons and it is up to you to decide on which you prefer making use of. If one has failed you for this project maybe you can use the other in the next.
5. Do not start to fret or worry too much:
Though missing a deadline in the corporate world is something that is most certainly frowned upon, yet this having been said, everyone knows that human beings are not perfect and that sometimes unforeseen issues present themselves and form impossible hurdles in our path.
So no matter what, you should not fret or worry about not being able to adhere to a deadline once, as chances are that your boss will not get angry with you. Yet this being said, ensure that you do complete the task as soon as you possibly can so that things are not pushed back too much on your account.
6. Make sure that you are not compromising on your quality:
In the event of noticing that you are going to miss a deadline, one of the worst mistakes which you can make is completing the work in any way just so that at the deadline you have something to submit.
This is a mistake which many employees make and this is something that will get your boss even angrier than had you not submitted the work in the first place. Remember that you have been appointed to the office for your work and nothing should ever come between you and your work, so let the deadline be, just make sure your quality of work is absolutely top notch.
7. Ask your co workers to help you out in your work:
Surviving in the business world is no tough task indeed, this is because there is so much intense competition between the top companies. This having been said, though there is ofcourse great competition between companies, there is also a great deal of competition between the employees as well.
Being able to form a meaningful friendship in the work place is something which has become a near impossible task, yet if you have been able to make a few friends along your way, then maybe you can go ahead and ask them if they might be willing to help you in this hour of need.
8. Ask your friends as well as family members to give you some advice:
If you know for a fact that you are going to miss your specified deadline and you are confused about what you should do at such a time , then rather than trying to solve the issue all on your own you should make it a point to consult your friends or even your family members.
Chances are that they will know exactly what you are going through as at some point of time or the other everyone has missed a deadline. So though they might not be able to help you in any way, talking about your problem and venting to them could do you a world of good in such a stressful situation.
9. Ensure that you have your excuse ready in mind:
The first practical thing which you need to do in the event of knowing that you will not be able to submit your work on time, is think of an excuse. In this case an excuse does not mean you need to lie, just ensure that you have your reason ready in mind when asked why you are unable to submit your work on time.
10. Tell your boss/ senior exactly what happened:
Rather than taking on too much stress you should pluck up your courage and just be honest with your senior telling him or her exactly what happened. Chances are that he or she will respect you for the honest way in which you have come forward and spoken about your mistakes in a responsible manner. Remember that seniors too were in your position at one point in time so they might let you off this one time.
11. Ensure to show that you are extremely apologetic for what happened:
Once you have spoken to your senior and mentioned categorically the reason why you have been unable to give up your project on time, you should ensure that you appear apologetic for what you have done. Even minor setback like this one cost the company a great deal of money so you should ensure that at no point of time are you acting rude or smug. If something is said to you or words of advice are given to you, just listen rather than trying to argue because after all the mistake is your own.
12. Do not let this minor incident take a toll on your mind:
As mentioned above fretting or worrying will not get you anywhere, however this having been said it is also of paramount importance that you do not let this minor setback play on your mind in the time to come. Just let this be a thing of the past as well as a learning experience and try to move on as soon as you possibly can.
13. Do not start taking things lightly:
In the event of having spoken to your boss and understood that maybe he isn’t too angry with you, you should not take this as a passport to do whatever you would like to do in the future. You should remember that you were hired to the company with the belief that you would work hard as well as be a true asset to the establishment.
You should be entirely devoted to the work which you do. The moment that the employers notice that you are taking your responsibility too lightly they might decide to let you off without even a warning.
14. Ensure that you work harder for your next few projects:
Once you know that you have made a complete mess over this project by not working hard enough or for any other reason, you should make sure that you make up for this by performing better in your next few projects.
Doing this will certainly serve a dual purpose, firstly you will be able to prove to your boss as well as seniors that you do in fact love your job and you do take whatever you have to do really seriously and secondly, doing this will really serve as a validation for you.
15. Maybe try and take on less responsibility:
In the event of noticing that you are not being able to adhere to a deadline, this is possibly because you have too much on your plate and you are being unable to focus on so many things at one point of time. So rather than being a Jack of all trades and master of none, ensure that at no point of time do you bite off more than you can chew.
Even if you are entrusted with one task, ensure that you are giving this one task all you got. There is no shame in saying no once in a while, it is certainly better than missing important deadlines for submitting your work.
16. Consider taking a break!:
Last but certainly not the least is that, if you are usually someone who is able to finish your work well in advance yet over the last few weeks you have just not been able to pay attention to your work or even give your one hundred percent to your work, this is possibly because you are mentally extremely tired and need a break.
There is some truth in the common saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dumb boy, so ensure that the moment you notice that this is happening, you take a break immediately so that you are able to get your mind back on your work soon.
Finally:
So these are some of the things which you need to do in the event of knowing that you are going to miss your deadline. However it is of paramount importance that since you are going to be missing the assigned deadline,and you make up for this by absolutely blowing the boss’s socks off with the quality of work which you are going to deliver, this having been said, ensure that this is not something which keeps happening as deadlines are given for a reason and if you do not pay attention to them then chances are that this will reflect badly on you and you might even lose your job.
