Setting a realistic Due Date

A realistic due date is one that the owner agrees is achievable given the scope of the action and the resources available to deliver it.

Whilst you might be encouraged to set an ambitious or aggressive date for completion, remember it is always better to set someone up for success, than set them up for failure.  One of the features of a team with Disciplined Action is building of confidence in delivery. As that confidence and the methodologies used to deliver actions build in strength, so the amount of stretch in delivering actions can be increased.

Sometimes dates just need to be set from above e.g. for simple tasks that just need to be done like filling out the HR database, completing annual reviews etc. These can obviously be imposed without agreement of all involved, but be prepared to handle exceptions when they do occur.

If a Due Date cannot be set

It may be that there is insufficient information available at the time to set a realistic due date. In this case, simply set a date by which the owner should report back with an agreeable due date after he/she has had the opportunity to study the problem and the resources available to address it.