Deadlines and coworkers

[Kamille]

Ah jeebus. I am organizing a group event for an event and today is the ultimate deadline. Since I'm the organizer, I need to get everyone's stuff and hand it in. Everyone has known for 2 weeks now that deadline is today and I told everyone yesterday that I wanted stuff in by 4pm EST. It is now past that time and I am still waiting on two colleagues.

 

I am in another time zone, which is putting me in on unpaid overtime right now. Not to mention that I have a date with bf I would very much like to get to.

 

The worst part is, I have sent them both reminders today, just tried calling them both and left a chiding email message.

 

Still no replies.

For one of them, this kind of stunt is typical.

For the other, I'm kind of worried as it is atypical.

 

Everyone else got their stuff done yesterday.

What do I do?

[Trialbyfire]

Give it another hour, then cc your boss with a follow-up to the two co-workers, making reference to yesterday and today's reminders. Nothing gets peoples' arses moving like open communications...

[Kamille]

Give it another hour, then cc your boss with a follow-up to the two co-workers, making reference to yesterday and today's reminders. Nothing gets peoples' arses moving like open communications...

 

Yes I thought about cc to boss earlier. - Except the boss is out of town, so the cc seems to me to be incredibly unfair.

 

Another option is that I send in the proposal with their parts missing, with them as cc saying they will complete their parts later. Which seems incredibly unprofessionnal.

 

Another option is that I cut them out. Which, if it was only one of them, would not be as bad as it being the two of them.

 

Another option is that I spend all night trying to get them on the phone or email and get them moving. Which is incredibly annoying.

 

Well... I'm bringing my computer to dinner and am hoping to hap in on some free wireless.

 

No wait. Before I do that I'm sending an email with cc to boss.

[Trialbyfire]

Yes I thought about cc to boss earlier. - Except the boss is out of town, so the cc seems to me to be incredibly unfair.

 

Another option is that I send in the proposal with their parts missing, with them as cc saying they will complete their parts later. Which seems incredibly unprofessionnal.

 

Another option is that I cut them out. Which, if it was only one of them, would not be as bad as it being the two of them.

 

Another option is that I spend all night trying to get them on the phone or email and get them moving. Which is incredibly annoying.

 

Well... I'm bringing my computer to dinner and am hoping to hap in on some free wireless.

 

No wait. Before I do that I'm sending an email with cc to boss.

Regardless if the boss is available or not, he will be made aware of who's fallen down on the deadline. While, as organizer, you are responsible for the completion of the project, you can only organize people who are willing to participate. Without the real power to do so, you can only rely on the backing from your boss.

 

One thing I've found for project management of any kind. If there's a two week deadline, the best thing to do is to set milestones with status meetings in between. It helps to keep people on the straight and narrow.

[Star Gazer]

I agree with cc:'ing the boss.

 

Nothing gets people moving quicker than seeing the big wo/man kept in the loop of their failings.

[Kamille]

Well the coworker for whom this kind of stuff is typical kicked into gear and sent her stuff in (once cc to boss was sent out. Said she was in a meeting that lasted longet then planned.)

 

The other one, the one for whom this is atypical, still no news and by now I'm pretty worried. Something must have happened to her or someone in her family.

 

Anyways, I contacted the one of the organizers of the event we're applying for - basically saying, something is up, this is atypical - and she gave me until Monday to submit the complete thing.