how do i make a veteran meet deadline without being a jerk?

House ad, anything. Next time, the fucking guy won't miss deadline.

 

That's not a guarantee. Again, the advice everyone is giving is great. However, the bottom line is if the guy can't cut it, he's got to be reassigned or terminated. Otherwise he is dead weight and make no mistake about it, if his blowing deadline isn't addressed, it won't be long before others do the same.

 

My first thought was, how long are these stories he's writing? I wouldn't be surprised if a veteran, especially if it's a smaller paper, were trying to get away with writing 20 inches or more.

If that's a problem, in addition to reminding the guy of deadline, give him a more firm length limit as well. Nothing worse than getting a story that's five inches too long a half-hour later than it should have arrived.

 

It seems that the smaller a paper is, the longer the gamers are.

 

There was a college kid who worked as a stringer at one of the papers I worked at who was nicknamed "House Ad" because of his inability to make deadline.

After about three failed attempts, they had to send him out to events that were much, much earlier in the day.

Why was he still working for us? His parents were friends with the publisher.

 

again, thanks for all the advice.

i shot him an email this morning reminding him of the deadline. this week, if he doesn't have his stuff in something else is going in place of it. i am also sending him to a game that should finish earlier than the other games.

 

Actually, it's a jerk in whose eyes? His for making him be on time or yours because you feel bad?

 

As someone who has had to file a running story from almost every baseball, basketball and football game I've ever covered, I have zero sympathy for people blowing deadline.

 

Tell him that the deadline is 30 minutes before you absolutely have to have it.

 

Another good ploy that usually works.

 

Not for 20-year veterans.

 

At the Super Bowl a few years back I was eating with a bunch of co-workers and one of our columnists, who was notorious for filing at the very last second, was bitching about his deadline, which was 45 minutes before the rest of us. One of the younger guys didn't know any better and blurted out "Really? I don't have to be in until 11:30." As our columnist walked off in a huff, we turned to the other writer and said, "You are so dead."

It was quite amusing.