...Your Project Has Missed Its Deadline
Lesson 7 from: What to Say When…Tips and Scripts for Tricky Situations at WorkIlise Benun
...Your Project Has Missed Its Deadline
Lesson 7 from: What to Say When…Tips and Scripts for Tricky Situations at WorkIlise Benun
Lesson Info
7. ...Your Project Has Missed Its Deadline
Lessons
Class Introduction
04:20 2...Others Need to Know What You’ve Accomplished
03:00 3...Someone Else Is Getting the Credit for Your Work
01:55 4...Your Boss Is Micromanaging Your Work
02:23 5...You’re Getting Too Much Work
02:15 6...It's Time for Your Annual Review
02:19 7...Your Project Has Missed Its Deadline
02:49 8...Your Boss Is Getting Too Personal
01:59...Co-Workers Are Distracting You from Your Work
02:17 10...Dealing with Co-Workers That Ask Too Many Favors
02:09 11...The Client Doesn’t like Your Work
01:37 12...Your Manager Doesn’t Totally Understand Your Work
01:57 13...There Is a Miscommunication
01:55 14...You Make a Mistake
02:12 15...A Client or Co-Worker Doesn’t Follow Through
02:08 16...You Won't Make Your Deadline
01:57 17...You’re Getting Mixed Messages
02:16 18...Dealing with Unresponsive Colleagues
02:19 19...A Co-Worker Talks Too Much During Meetings
01:50 20...You Think You Deserve a Raise
02:10 21...Networking with Strangers or VIPs
02:31 22...A Meeting Goes off Track
01:49 23...You Need to Leave a Meeting Before It Ends
01:23 24...You Arrive Late to a Meeting
01:33 25Conclusion
03:40Lesson Info
...Your Project Has Missed Its Deadline
What to say when the project you're working on has missed its unrealistic deadline, but still isn't finished. Here's the situation. Your creative team has been asked to accommodate an unrealistically tight schedule for the CEO's new initiative. As you knew it would, the project is taking longer than anticipated. The original deadline has passed, and now they are breathing down your neck to get it done, but you need more time. What to say? What you may be thinking and should definitely not say is "It's not my fault that they aren't realistic." Here's the solution. In the beginning say, "Rushing often produces subpar work, "and routinely creates costly mistakes. "I suggest we break this into two phases "or get additional resources for this section "to accommodate the aggressive timeframe. "I know we've all worked hard to serve this client, "and I don't wanna let them down." If it's too late for that, tell the truth as fast as you can. I think people can deal with facts better than B.S. H...
ere's what you could say. "This project has run into some problems, "and the original timeline was not exactly realistic. "We are doing our best to get it done "as quickly as possible." Then, approach it with curiosity. "Do you know why the CEO needs this completed "by such and such a date?" Or, approach with generosity. "Is there something I can provide as a placeholder "to satisfy the powers that be, in the meantime?" Or, try humility. "I take responsibility for my role in the delay here, "and rest assured, I'm working as fast as I can. "You will have something to work with soon." Or, you could approach it with humor, and say, "Wow, "that deadline really crept up on us, right? "They must think we're robots or something." Here's the overarching idea. This is bigger than this one situation or project. When others have unrealistic expectations, and require you to work against impossible timelines, you must emphasize what is and isn't humanly possible. Try to correct unrealistic expectations. Get them to accept your realistic timeline, and offer an interim solution that will at least provide some cover for those on the front lines. Don't lie, and give a delivery date that you know isn't possible, just because it's what they wanna hear. You do not want to cultivate a reputation of someone who doesn't deliver on time. Your professional integrity is always at stake, and you want to be known as someone who can deliver. Make sense?
Ratings and Reviews
Karlie Jessop
Love the format of this course - it was so great to be able to select a specific situation, and then quickly learn a couple of approaches to each one.