←Module 5: Task & Project Management
Lesson

Tracking Deadlines & Progress

Learn how to track project deadlines, communicate progress, and flag risks before they become missed deadlines.

📘 Reading Lesson

Lesson Notes

Read through the key concepts before you try the challenge.

Real-World Scenario

A TOR Tech project has 6 deliverables due over 3 weeks. Your job is to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and your manager always knows where things stand. You cannot rely on memory — you need a system that shows status at a glance.

Tracking Deadlines & Communicating Progress

Deadline tracking is about more than writing down a date. It is about building a system that surfaces problems early and keeps every stakeholder informed:

  • Deadline tracking in spreadsheets — use a simple table with columns for task name, owner, due date, status, and notes to track every deliverable in one place
  • Using task tool status fields — in Trello, Asana, or ClickUp, update the status card every time progress is made so the board reflects reality, not last week's picture
  • Weekly check-ins — set a recurring 15-minute weekly review to go through every open task and update statuses before your manager asks
  • Flagging at-risk items — if a task is behind schedule, flag it immediately using a red label, a comment, or a status of 'At Risk' — never let a missed deadline be a surprise
  • Communicating delays proactively — if you know a deadline will be missed, tell your manager before the deadline, not after. Include a revised date and a brief reason.

Responsible Use

Never update a deadline without notifying the people affected. Changing a due date in a tracker without communicating it creates confusion and can damage trust with your team or client.

AI Assist

💡 AI Task: Ask ChatGPT — "Create a simple project deadline tracker for a 3-week project with 6 deliverables." Use the suggested structure as your starting point for the challenge, then customize the columns and data.

Knowledge Check

When should you flag a task as 'At Risk' in your project tracker?

Challenge

Apply what you've learned in this lesson.

Build a deadline tracker for a fictional 3-week project with exactly 6 tasks. Your tracker must include columns for: Task Name, Owner (use made-up names), Due Date, Status (Not Started / In Progress / Complete / At Risk), and Notes. Fill in all rows with realistic data and mark at least one task as At Risk with a note explaining why.

← Prioritizing & Organizing WorkHands-On: Build a Project Tracker →