We all work in an atmosphere where we need to deal with fellow human beings all the time. While that adds to our well-being and makes us grow, it can also hinder us if we let it.

Screw up of our work due to a colleague’s slow pace of completing Deadlines happens often. So, let’s list out ways to deal with it to make sure deadlines are close to completion.

• Stop escalating the harm already done:

If one of your colleagues has already missed a deadline that is affecting your work, there will be no use of complaining about it. Your work is already hindered.

They are your colleague. You eat, talk, walk back home and spend an important part of your day with them.

Talk to them first before going and rattling it out. Was there any problem due to which they failed to Complete the work on time? Have an informal discussion over a cup of coffee before making any assumptions that they might have done it intentionally.Chances are you may also miss a deadline in the coming future. You would also want your colleague to come to you first, don’t you?

• Learn to apologize whenever needed:

‘I could not submit on time because an X person did not do their job well and that affected my work.’

‘I am sorry for not being able to submit on time. I am coming up with solutions so that any future work is not hindered because of this particular deadline.’

Which line would you like hearing? The last one, right? so would your boss!

Keep your excuses at bay and just apologize if you could not complete something due to any reason whatsoever.

It will remove the added stress of making up a reason or blaming a colleague. Just say sorry and assure your boss that you are on it. However strict your boss maybe, a sweet apology would at least buy you enough time to come up with a fixable solution.

• Don’t ask for work before deadlines:

It is possible that you become paranoid about a crucial deadline before it arrives. As a result, you ask your colleague everyday about the progress of the work.

Chances are your employee is giving 100% in that work but your surprise asking hinders their productivity. Nobody likes to be answerable before time.

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To solve this, you can have a different approach. Instead of assigning a deadline, ask your subordinate to decide for themselves a realistic deadline.

This way they are solely responsible for completing the task on time and can’t blame you for not giving enough time. And most definitely, they will complete their work according to the deadline decided by them.

• Automate the Chaos:

  Everybody works better when they know specifically what they need to do.

There are many useful collaboration tools available online which can help in this matter. These tools help in listing out task structures, assigning these tasks, tracking each other’s progress, exchanging of documents, private or group messaging and various other attributes.

Use these tools and witness your deadlines complete even before time with the added advantage of clarity of your work & mind.

And as Napoleon Hill once said,

“A goal is a dream with a deadline”.

Make sure you achieve yours within stipulated time.