How Do You Handle A Situation Where The Team Is Unable To Meet Deadlines
How do you handle a situation where the team is unable to meet deadlines – example of a time when you failed to meet a deadline. This is a tough interview question because it forces the candidate to talk about a failure. The interviewer is looking not only for how you failed, but more specifically why you failed.
The answer typically comes down to the circumstances and the resulting blame game. Do you take personal responsibility for failing to meet a deadline? Or is the blame entirely on others? Your best approach is to talk about a specific situation where you missed a deadline due to unforeseen or unplanned circumstances, yet take personal responsibility for the shortcoming and talk about what you are doing to keep it from happening again in the future.
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Tips to help you handle missing a deadline
1. Take responsibility for your actions
Instead of placing the blame on another coworker, your current workload or a faulty computer program, take responsibility for the missed deadline. While there may have been other extenuating circumstances at play, it’s important to show your supervisor that you understand where you may have been able to mitigate these challenges.
2. Take steps to prevent missing future deadlines
Identify what steps you can take to prevent missing future deadlines. This might involve working ahead during slower periods, being more selective about the projects you take on or maintaining a more organized to-do list. Another great option is to give yourself a soft due date for future projects.
3. Be proactive
If you notice that a project is taking you longer to complete than expected, let your supervisor know ahead of time. Requesting an extension before the due date can reduce stress and give other members of your team time to adjust their schedules or priorities. If you miss a deadline due to unforeseen circumstances, you can still be proactive by reaching out to your supervisor before they notice the delay.
4. Provide frequent updates
As you work toward your new deadline, provide frequent updates to let your supervisor know you’re on track. This can alleviate some of the stress they may be feeling and help you ensure you complete the project by the upcoming due date.
What’s a Situational Interview Question?
Situational interview questions – also known as behavioral questions – are questions that ask you to share a previous (work-related) experience and how you reacted. What the interviewer gets from this is an insight into how you react to certain work situations. While your resume gives the recruiter an overall introduction to your education and experiences, your answer to situational interview questions helps interviewers understand your character.
Similar interview questions:
- When was the last time you were unable to deliver within the timeframe originally specified?
- What happens when you realize you will be unable to deliver by the set deadline?
- What do you do when you have two conflicting priorities and can only deliver one on time?
- Tell me about a time where you delivered a project late.
Remember to answer each interview question behaviorally, whether it is a behavioral question or not. The easiest way to do this is to use an example from your background and experience. Then use the S-T-A-R approach to make the answer a STAR: talk about a Situation or Task (S-T), the Action you took (A) and the Results achieved (R). This is what makes your interview answer uniquely yours.
Example of how to answer this question as an experienced candidates:
“In my current role, I have both a direct line manager and a dotted line manager. I recently had my primary project interrupted due to a critical firefighting request by my dotted line manager. Although my direct line manager approved me working on this request, it put me off my delivery timeline for my primary project.
In the end, I was able to solve the firefighting issue and deliver on my primary project, but it ended up being over a week late due to the diversion. I talked about this with my direct line manager and we agreed to put in place contingency buffer time into future projects to allow me to divert if and when necessary to the dotted line department. I also met with my dotted line manager and discussed training another person in the department so that I wouldn’t be the sole person to cover in these types of situations…”
Mistakes You Should Avoid: An example of how you should not answer this question:
“Well, my current project deadline has long since passed and we still have no idea when everything will be finished. It was a really aggressive time estimate from the start. My boss just gave it to me and I said I would try, but I knew it couldn’t be completed in that amount of time. Now everyone is mad that the project is running over time and over budget, which is why I want to leave, so here I am, interviewing with you…”
How to tell a supervisor you missed a deadline
1. Address the situation as soon as possible
While the deadline may have already passed, addressing the situation as soon as possible is still important. This can give your supervisor the time they need to make necessary adjustments to keep the rest of your department or your project on track. If possible, notify your supervisor in person.
3. Apologize for the delay
While it may seem like a small act, simply apologizing for the delay can improve how your supervisor reacts to the news. Try to understand how missing this deadline may impact their job, your team’s workflow or the organization.
2. Provide a brief explanation
Offer a brief explanation of why you were unable to meet the deadline. While you don’t have to share personal details, letting your supervisor know if there was an emergency you needed to take care of or there was another reason for the delay can help them understand the situation. Be honest and admit if there’s something you could have done to prevent the situation.
4. Propose a new timeframe
Consider what other priorities you have on your list and whether you can move some of them around to make sure you can finish the project you need to complete. Then propose a new timeframe that works for both you and your supervisor. Make sure you agree to a deadline you can meet this time to help you rebuild trust.
5. Thank your supervisor for understanding by showing your appreciation
Make sure to thank your supervisor for understanding your situation and working with you to find a solution. Let your supervisor know you’re grateful for the extension and reassure them that you can meet the new deadline.
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