Deadline FAIL

When I first got into advertising, I was told that deadlines were absolute, can't miss 'em or the client gets mad kind of deals. In my many years in this industry, I've seen this philosophy (or should I call it policy?) get left in the dust. And it makes me angry!

You see, I am definitely the type of person who plans, and sticks to her plans the best she can. I like my planning nature and I LOVE LOVE being in control. Some call that controlling or Type A. That's where I disagree (and that quiz that said I was Type A was wrong). I like knowing that I'm doing my job to the best of my ability, which in my opinion and my bosses, is pretty darn great. Call me crazy, but I also think that the people I work with should respect the same deadlines as I do.

Fashion Crimes (that's her name for this blog. In real life I call her something much worse.) is literally making my life a living H$%^ these days. Ever since I got this promotion, she has gotten worse. Her main problem, besides not doing her work and being slow is that she deliberately misses deadlines. Seriously, she's been here since February and has not met a deadline ONCE!! The most recent example was two weeks ago. Every month I set a deadline. Sometimes it's five weeks in advance or I give her a warning of the impending deadline a few days ahead. The important point to remember is that she knows that the deadline is coming at around the same time every month. However, this time, did she even attempt to make the deadline? NO! Did she come to me and say that she wouldn't be making the deadline? NO! (That is a whole other ball of wax...) Instead, she told her boss who is sort of my boss, but kind of not, that she was afraid that she might miss the deadline because of... What? What reason? NO reason at all? He told her to get a move on. Guess what happened next? If you said deadline not met, you'd be right. Then again, you already read the answer above. What makes me most angry is that she didn't even attempt to make the deadline. The deadline was a Friday at noon. Everything was finally finished the following Wednesday, leaving me two and a half days to get 5 days worth of work done. DEADLINE FAIL!

However the story doesn't end there. Her list of excuses this time as to why the deadline was not met are priceless.
1. It was the client's fault. (there was a mid week change a couple of days before the deadline. The changes should take two hours to do. She took eight.)
2. It's too much work to do.
3. Again, the client's fault.

Blaming the client as an excuse? Not cool. I don't care if you are being held hostage by a band of wild monkeys hired by the client, don't blame the client* for your shortcomings. Just meet the freaking deadline instead of spending all of your time on MSN and smoking outside! That is not the client's fault!

Coming soon, the advertising rule book as penned by Miss Adventures. It's going to be legen...wait for it...dary... You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love the epic tale of love and loss...Oops wrong tag line..

*Key rule: even if you want to, don't blame the client. It will get back to them somehow, some way.