How Do You Handle a Team Member Who Keeps Missing Deadlines

How to answer this question

• 1Start with a direct conversation to understand what is actually causing the misses.
• 2Do not assume it is a motivation problem before you have explored other causes.
• 3Check for workload issues, unclear priorities, personal situations, or skill gaps.
• 4Address the specific root cause once you understand it.
• 5Set clear expectations and a follow-up mechanism after the conversation.

Example answer

I start by having a direct conversation to understand what is actually happening. Is it workload, unclear priorities, a personal situation, or a skill gap? For one team member I managed the issue was that he was taking on too much without flagging it. We worked out a simple weekly check-in where he flagged anything at risk before it became a missed deadline. His on-time delivery went from about 60 percent to over 90 percent within a month.