- 1). Post a chart somewhere in the office where everyone can clearly see the deadlines associated with a particular project or set of tasks. This ensures that none of your co-workers has any excuse when it comes to adhering to deadlines. Moreover, your supervisor will be pleased that you took the initiative to ensure everyone knows about deadlines and has an easy way to determine what they are.
- 2). Circulate a reminder email with the consequences of missing deadline. It can simply serve as a friendly reminder to those working on a project or in the office in general that if you miss deadline, this or that will happen. Keep the tone light and helpful and offer your assistance to anyone who may have fallen behind and be in danger of missing deadline. This way you help colleagues keep the deadline at top of mind, without appearing to nag them about it.
- 3). Talk to your co-worker if he has fallen behind on a deadline. Don't approach him in a supervisory way, especially if you are of equal status or don't directly manage him. Ask him if there is anything you can do to assist him in meeting his deadline to ensure that the entire project comes in on time. Perhaps he has simply gotten behind on his work and needs some extra assistance to catch up.
- 4). Schedule a team meeting to determine where you are on deadline as a whole. If you are not a team leader, you might ask the leader to call the meeting. Explain that you've noticed the project or task in question is in danger of not coming in on time -- without pointing fingers -- and figure out how tasks can be reassigned to ensure a timely deliverable. When the group as a whole tackles the problem, it avoids pointing fingers at one person in particular.
- 5). Approach your supervisor with the issue if the lack of deadline adherence is affecting your performance. For example, if you can't do part of your job until a co-worker does hers, then you need to say something to your boss, so that her lack of planning doesn't reflect poorly on you. Put the issue in his hands and let him deal with it, so you can continue to focus on the task at hand for your own job.