You missed a deadline. How do you regain your team's trust?

Missing a deadline can be a stressful and frustrating experience, especially in the graphics field where you have to balance creativity, quality, and speed. It can also damage your reputation and your relationship with your team, who may lose confidence in your abilities and reliability. However, you can recover from this setback and regain your team's trust by following these six steps.

1 Acknowledge your mistake

The first thing you should do is to admit that you missed the deadline and take responsibility for it. Don't make excuses, blame others, or minimize the impact of your error. Instead, apologize sincerely and explain what went wrong and how you plan to fix it. This will show your team that you are honest, accountable, and willing to learn from your mistakes.

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Tommaso Gallina

Shoe Designer | Head of Design and co founder at FAB LAB Design-Montebelluna ITALY
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I perfectly agree: the first thing ever is to admit your fault, assume your responsibilities. Immediately after that it’s crucial to reschedule the work in a sustainable way, sharing the timing with your team, before communicating it to the client or to your superior.

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2 Communicate with your team

The next step is to communicate with your team about the status of your project and the revised timeline. Keep them updated on your progress and any challenges or changes that may affect the delivery. Ask for their feedback, input, and support if you need it. This will show your team that you are transparent, collaborative, and respectful of their work and expectations.

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Chris George

Digital Marketing, Enterprise Martech Strategy, Creative Technologist, Marketing Operations Leader and self-proclaimed armchair futurist
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Just to add to this, if you’re honest and communicate that you are highly likely going to miss a deadline: there’s far less of a disaster to come back from. Maybe your workload could be lightened. Maybe you could get a partner to help. Maybe deadlines could have been shifted. And at the very least, everyone would have known the risks and this information now becomes shared. We’re not saving babies here.

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3 Prioritize your tasks

The third step is to prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important and urgent ones. Review your project scope, goals, and requirements and identify the essential elements that you need to complete. Eliminate or delegate any non-essential or low-priority tasks that may distract you or consume your time. This will show your team that you are organized, efficient, and committed to delivering quality work.

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4 Manage your time

The fourth step is to manage your time effectively and avoid procrastination, distractions, or interruptions. Create a realistic schedule for your project and stick to it. Break down your tasks into smaller and manageable chunks and set deadlines for each one. Use tools and techniques such as calendars, timers, reminders, or Pomodoro to help you stay on track and motivated. This will show your team that you are disciplined, productive, and respectful of their time.

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Carolina Solaque

Graphic Designer | UX/UI | Creative Digital Content | Branding | Illustrator
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Time management is key. We know we have more things to do besides work. The essential thing is to plan the time you have available to complete projects and meet deadlines. Nowadays, there are many applications to remind us of our activities during the week or month. Don't forget that self-motivation helps us achieve our goals.

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5 Review your work

The fifth step is to review your work carefully and ensure that it meets the standards and expectations of your team and your clients. Check for any errors, inconsistencies, or gaps in your graphics and make sure that they are clear, accurate, and appealing. Ask for feedback from your team or a trusted colleague and make any necessary revisions or improvements. This will show your team that you are attentive, professional, and quality-oriented.

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6 Learn from your experience

The sixth and final step is to learn from your experience and prevent missing deadlines in the future. Analyze what caused you to miss the deadline and what you can do differently next time. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and seek ways to improve your skills, knowledge, or processes. Seek feedback from your team and your clients and incorporate their suggestions or recommendations. This will show your team that you are proactive, adaptable, and growth-minded.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Owen Brierley, PhD (FHEA)

Maker at the Crossroads of Digital Arts & Tech | Innovating Human Experiences | Exploring Digital Empathy in Interactive Spaces
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For me, any trust relationship is developed through a credit/debit process. The more you demonstrate you can be trusted with a thing, the more you will be trusted with that thing. That accumulative credit leads to reputation. If you consistently meet deadlines, then you develop a reputation for, and can be trusted to, meet a deadline. As well, trust/reputation can be for a negative trait as well. If you develop a reputation for being late to meetings/class/appointments, you will be trusted for that trait, and a deviation will be seen as an exception not a rule.

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You missed a deadline. How do you regain your team's trust?

1

2

3

4

5

6

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1 Acknowledge your mistake

2 Communicate with your team

3 Prioritize your tasks

4 Manage your time

5 Review your work

6 Learn from your experience

7 Here’s what else to consider

Graphics

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You missed a deadline. How do you regain your team's trust?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Acknowledge your mistake

2 Communicate with your team

3 Prioritize your tasks

4 Manage your time

5 Review your work

6 Learn from your experience

7 Here’s what else to consider

Graphics

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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