![\"Missed](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Missed-deadlines-cover-1-1110x555.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhy are missed project deadlines a problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A deadline is an important tool that helps frame the project and set a steady work tempo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When everything is going smoothly and deadlines are well-spaced and realistic, they function as goals for the project team and serve as motivators in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, when a project hits a snag and your team happens to miss a deadline, this can create a host of other problems such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Pushing back the deadlines of other dependent tasks,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Working overtime,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Increased stress,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Decreased team morale,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Burnout,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Money loss, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lost trust of your superiors, clients, or customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
To avoid the pitfalls of missed deadlines, we must first understand why deadlines are missed in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deadlines are extremely valuable tools for managing projects. To learn exactly what makes them important and how you can manipulate them to get them to work to your advantage, check out this guide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What Is a Project Deadline?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Main causes of missed deadlines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are countless reasons for missing a deadline. Some are entirely unavoidable and outside our control, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Illnesses, <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Accidents, <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Unforseen staff reductions, <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Contractor mistakes,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Shipping issues (for projects that require physical resources), etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Not much can be done about these. The only thing you can do is plan the project from the beginning with the assumption that setbacks will inevitably happen, and create contingency plans just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, there are plenty of other, quite preventable reasons. In this section, we\u2019ll talk about some of the most common reasons why deadlines get missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reason #1: The planning fallacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The planning fallacy \u2014 a term first coined by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979 \u2014 refers to people\u2019s tendency to underestimate the time, budget, and other resources and risks related to a task, even if the estimates contradict their previous experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, we employ wishful thinking and imagine the best possible outcome, failing to take into account any possible issues or disturbances that might crop up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, how do we deal with planning fallacy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solution: Get a second opinion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
According to a research paper<\/a> that studied the \u201cplanning fallacy\u201d phenomenon, while people tend to grossly underestimate the time they<\/em> will need to complete a task, their accuracy drastically increases when they do the same for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this in mind, it\u2019s valuable to always assume that your estimates are wrong and to get a second opinion from a colleague, superior, or better yet \u2014 your own team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will help you look at your project with fresh eyes and notice potential issues that you might not have noticed otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reason #2: Lack of pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When deadlines carry no weight \u2014 there are no consequences for missing them, or rewards for completing them \u2014 they, and by extension, the work needed to meet them, are perceived as pointless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without a healthy dose of pressure to finish tasks on time, or at least a clear understanding why it\u2019s important to finish them, people are quick to hit the pause button on work and turn to easier or more enjoyable tasks instead \u2014 in other words, to procrastinate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solution: Ensure everyone understands why their work is important<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
When collaborating on a project, a team needs to know what their job is \u2014 but they also need to know why they\u2019re doing it in order to be fully invested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Miyagi-sensei told Daniel in Karate Kid to wax his cars and paint the fence, Daniel did the work sloppily because he saw it as pointless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only after Miyagi-sensei explained why mastering the movements was important did Daniel get excited and meticulous about doing the work that was asked of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a similar manner, if your team isn\u2019t involved in the planning and they don\u2019t fully understand the merits of their work and the consequences of missing deadlines, they\u2019ll tend to procrastinate and give a half-hearted performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reason #3: Unrealistic deadlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There are a few reasons project managers may assign unrealistic deadlines to their teams. Some of the possible reasons include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Being unable to say \u201cno\u201d to additional work requested by stakeholders,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Trying to speed up the project,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poor communication with the team, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lack of planning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Unrealistic deadlines tend to push teams to work round the clock to finish the tasks at hand, which can lead to burnout. In especially difficult cases, not even working overtime will get the tasks finished on time, which is a surefire way to diminish morale among team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solution: Communicate with your team members<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Project managers sometimes set unrealistic deadlines because they aren\u2019t the ones who actually do the work, and aren\u2019t fully aware of what goes into completing certain tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main issue here is lack of communication. A project manager is never separate from their team. Whether it\u2019s planning a feature set, budget estimates, or setting deadlines, your team\u2019s input is invaluable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A project manager should maintain constant and transparent communication with their team throughout the project, and include the team in every major decision that has to do with the work they will be performing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about why communication is important in project management and how to establish effective communication in project management in the link below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Why Is Communication Important in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\u200b\u200b\n
\n\n\n \n Try CAKE.com Bundle <\/span>\nIf, however, you realize you need a more sophisticated communication tool, try the CAKE.com Bundle, which gets you 3 tools at an incredible price:<\/em> Plaky for polished project management,<\/em> Pumble for smooth team communication, and<\/em> Clockify for efficient time tracking.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n \n Sign up <\/a>\n \n Learn more <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n ![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/bundle.png\")
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nReason #4: Poor time management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Poor time management is a widespread problem that affects teams and project managers alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a 2012 McKinsey study<\/a>, people spend on average 28% of their time at work checking and answering emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent years, this number has drastically increased to an unbelievable 3\u20135 hours every day, according to an Adobe Email Usage Study from 2019 \u2014 and this is just the time wasted on emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inefficient use of time at work is one of the primary reasons why people: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Cram most of the work in the final stages of the deadline, <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Appear to always be working, but progressing extremely slowly, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ultimately miss deadlines altogether.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n Free project management software <\/span>\n
Stay on top of your deadlines and manage project timelines with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n
\n \n Sign up <\/a>\n \n Learn more <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n ![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/default.png\")
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nSolution: Timebox and prioritize tasks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
According to Parkinson\u2019s law<\/a>, work will expand to fill the time available for its completion. Therefore, if the issue is poor time management, the best remedy would be timeboxing<\/a> \u2014 assigning a set and maximum amount of time for any given task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In theory, this means that if you give a task a time limit of 5 hours, you will finish it in 5 hours; if you give it a time limit of 2 hours, you will likely finish it in 2, provided that this is a realistic timeframe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea is to eliminate the amount of time you procrastinate or spend doing activities that could take less time to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This technique, coupled with prioritizing tasks, should get you well on your way to better time management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many daily planner tools you can find on the market feature a timeboxing option. Check out the best planner apps list and find the one that suits you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 18 Best Daily Planner Apps for Greater Productivity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
7 Tips for recovering from a missed deadline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, you\u2019ve tried your best, but things still got out of hand, and a deadline was missed. This is, of course, not ideal, but it\u2019s not the end of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few things you can do to get everything under control again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #1: Report it ASAP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The longer you wait to report an issue or a delay, the bigger the hole you\u2019re digging yourself into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s extremely important to let your stakeholders know about the risk of a missed deadline as soon as it\u2019s evident that it is going to happen. This gives everyone a chance to react in time and perhaps even do some damage control before things get completely out of hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should do this even if you don\u2019t have much additional information to offer at the moment. The first order of business is to simply notify all the key parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An official meeting will be held where you\u2019ll have to present the reasons for missing the deadline and your plans to get the project back on track again. Until then, just focus on keeping everyone up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #2: Assess the situation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re sure that everyone is duly notified, get on to assessing the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will probably require long nights of sifting through the project documentation in order to find the root of the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll have to sit through many meetings with your team to determine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- All the areas of the project affected by the missed deadline,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The effects of the missed deliverable on the project as a whole, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The best course of action going forward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Tip #3: Develop an action plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A deadline was missed, and, whether that was directly your fault or not, you as the project manager are held accountable for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, instead of wasting your time trying to think of excuses or lay blame on other people or circumstances, the best thing you can do is be proactive \u2014 compile information and lay out a clear plan of action to show the stakeholders that you are committed to fixing the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that you might have to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Put a stop to scope creep<\/a>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create an emergency responsibility reassignment,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Delegate, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Revise deliverables and reassign resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Put a stop to scope creep<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Scope creep is inevitable in most projects. But, in a situation where you\u2019re already behind schedule, more changes are the last thing you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, to make it easier to deal with the main issue of bringing the project back on track, all changes to the scope that aren\u2019t absolutely necessary should be temporarily (or even permanently) put on hold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more about scope and why understanding it is critical to project success, read our guide below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What Is Scope in Project Management? (+ Free Template)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Create an emergency responsibility reassignment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the severity of the consequences the missed deadline is causing, you might want to consider an emergency all-hands-on-deck approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This would mean having all qualified personnel drop what they\u2019re doing and divide the work amongst themselves in order to finish the compromised tasks as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might not be the best course of action, but in emergency situations, it might be the only viable one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delegate work<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Delegating work is perhaps a better, albeit more costly and uncertain, alternative to the all-hands-on-deck approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your budget is in the black, but you\u2019re strapped for time, a good possible solution is to hire a third-party contractor to help you out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach has its risks if you\u2019ve never worked with that particular contractor, or a group of contractors, before. But, it\u2019s a great way to get some of the work off your shoulders and iron out the project timeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revise deliverables and reallocate resources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Another thing you could do to make sure one missed deadline doesn\u2019t affect your final, end-of-project deadline, is to go over the deliverables and identify the ones that could be removed or replaced to save time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will require some serious changes in resource allocation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re unsure about what a deliverable is, take a look at our guide where you\u2019ll find definitions, examples, types of deliverables, and more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What Is a Deliverable in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Now, of course, this can\u2019t be done without stakeholder permission, but it\u2019s a valid point to bring up in the meeting where you\u2019ll discuss your next plan of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of the time, if you\u2019ve provided a reasonable explanation for the missed deadline, and have shown initiative to do everything in your power to fix the issue \u2014 stakeholders will show understanding. After all, they too want the project completed on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, this won\u2019t always be the case, so you might want to have a plan B on standby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #4: Communicate with stakeholders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve assessed the situation and put together a viable action plan, it\u2019s time to present it to the key stakeholders and get their approval. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a necessary step since nothing in a project can happen without the stakeholders\u2019 consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your presentation is sufficiently convincing and you have Lady Luck on your side, you might even receive additional funding to help you deal with the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #5: Update your risk management plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Significant updates to the project plan require a whole new risk management<\/a> plan. In it, you should: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Identify as many possible negative risks as you can think of, <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Complete with plans on how to prevent them from happening, and <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create contingency plans to offset them, should they ever occur. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Remember that you should keep the risk management plan updated at all times, to avoid other emergency situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
To learn more about the elements and types of risk in project management and how to identify risk, read our detailed guide here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- What Is Risk in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Tip #6: Carefully monitor progress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Since you\u2019ve gone through the trouble of replacing a chunk of your old plan with a completely new one, you should carefully monitor its progress if you don\u2019t want history to repeat itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good way to do this is by making good use of a reliable project management tool<\/a> that will provide a comprehensive top-down overview of your entire project.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Plaky-timeline-feature-and-summary-row-1024x539.png\")
Project tasks in Plaky table view<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Instead of collecting paper reports and trying to keep mental notes of what each of your team member is working on, project management software allows you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Keep track of who\u2019s doing what,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Easily identify bottlenecks,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Notice when someone is behind schedule or overwhelmed with work,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Get notified whenever changes are made to the tasks you\u2019re subscribed to,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Keep track of task statuses and dependencies,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Leave feedback for completed tasks, and much more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Project management tools like Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a> allow you to fully customize your spaces according to your project management style. You can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Color code your tasks,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create custom statuses and tags,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Filter and sort tasks according to common characteristics,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Switch to using a Kanban<\/a> board if you\u2019re leading an Agile<\/a> project, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In other words, project management tools are critical for staying on top of your projects and monitoring progress \u2014 but without your team feeling like you\u2019re micromanaging them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip #7: Ask for a deadline extension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is kind of a cheat tip, but a valid one nonetheless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you spend days trying to completely rebuild a part of your project, consider asking your stakeholders whether they\u2019d be willing to extend the deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, this tends to work better on smaller projects. Besides, some deadlines \u2014 e.g. important events like the Olympics \u2014 are fixed, and not even the stakeholders have the power to change them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, once in a while, you\u2019ll find yourself in a situation where the stakeholders will be glad to extend your deadline so long as you have a reasonable explanation for why a deadline extension is necessary. So, there\u2019s never any harm in asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn how to avoid delays and consistently meet deadlines at work in the post below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Meeting Deadlines At Work: 10 Fail-Proof Tactics to Try Out<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A missed deadline won\u2019t kill your project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
No one likes missing deadlines. Luckily, there are plenty of precautions you can take to prevent it from happening in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, projects rarely run smoothly, and hiccups are bound to happen. And, when they do, you can follow our 7 tips on how to get your project back on track. You can use them as guidelines to save your project from completely unraveling because of a seemingly small mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n \n Free project management software <\/span>\nTrack your progress and achieve better project results with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n
\n \n Sign up <\/a>\n \n Download <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Learn why project deadlines get missed and how to prevent it + 7 tips on how to get a project back on track after a missed deadline derails it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":10445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=853"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16978,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853\/revisions\/16978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Meeting Deadlines At Work: 10 Fail-Proof Tactics to Try Out<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- What Is Risk in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- What Is a Deliverable in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- Put a stop to scope creep<\/a>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 18 Best Daily Planner Apps for Greater Productivity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- Why Is Communication Important in Project Management?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
- What Is a Project Deadline?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/bundle@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/default@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n