- This is an issue that you and your staff need to work on together as a team with your leadership.
- One of the most important first steps is to make sure that everyone understands what the goals are and the deadlines to be met. These should be in writing and they should be measurable. Meeting the deadlines should be part of the performance plan of each staff member.
- Develop a plan with your staff that includes the strategies and action steps to reach these deadlines. This planning should include skills and knowledge required, anticipated problems, time-lines, barriers, budget and resources needed.
- You and your staff need to develop interim time-lines, check-points and measures to make sure that they are on track.
- You will need to assign responsibilities based on the knowledge and skills of your staff.
- The plan, time-lines, check-points, assigned responsibilities, etc. should be in writing. Everyone should have a copy and it should also be posted on a bulletin board. It is helpful to have as much information as possible in some kind of a chart or graph format.
- You may also need to talk with senior management if you need resources that are not readily available. You will need to speak with senior management if your staff feels that time-lines designated by senior management are unrealistic. You are the go-between senior management and the staff if problems and/or barriers arise.
- Set time for a weekly staff meeting to discuss project and/or team issues.
- Meet with individual staff members on a bi-weekly basis to discuss individual issues, concerns and progress.
- Make sure the team is on the company intranet. A listserv of those working on a project should be developed so that everyone can get a copy of communications. Although we all complain of receiving too much e-mail, this is a good mechanism to make sure that everyone is "in the loop."
- Can you think of other ways to help your staff meet deadlines and goals? Please E-mail.
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