<h1>Managing Deadlines 2: For Managers</h1>

As a follow up from Managing Deadlines 1: For Delegates I thought it would be prudent to give some advice a tips for the managers who set the deadlines and delegate the tasks.

Give a clear date a time

Make sure you give the delegate a clear date for exactly WHEN the task should be completed by. You may even want to specify a time. It is best not to say "ASAP" or "at your convenience"...be specific.

Be clear - be SMART

If you give the delegate as much information at the start this will minimise confusion and lots of questions further down the line. It will also allow the delegate to get on with the task and be very clear on WHAT he/she should be working towards.

Give clear expectations and parameters

Make sure your expectations are clear. Mention the standards you expect, what the delegate can or cannot do; HOW the task should be completed

Arrange a time to meet the delegate(s)

Depending on the size of the task it may be appropriate to meet and discuss the task or project before it is fully delegated. This will provide a good opportunity to discuss what is to be achieved and allow for any questions to be answered. You may want to set progress meetings up to check in with the delegate over the course of the set period.

Highlight personal and organisational benefits

By highlighting the benefits the employee will be more likely to buy into the task/project and complete it on time. This will provide the delegate with the WHY.

Note down your set deadlines

You will need to remember what deadlines you set and for whom. You should use your diary or a task list system (Microsoft Outlook or something similar) to do this for you; after you have set a dozen or so it can get difficult to manage. It is important that you do this...especially for those who tend to slip on the deadlines.

Inevitably a deadline will be missed and you will have to reprimand someone. However, if you delegate properly and make sure your message is clear your employees will have a better chance at meeting the deadline with the timing, standard and quality you expected.

I hope this helps you out. Please build on this by leaving a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

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