My first instinct was to jump straight into resource reallocation and I think that was the wrong move to lead with.
Acknowledge the situation calmly, then outline a structured plan to assess impact, reallocate work, and communicate with stakeholders. Emphasize prioritization, cross-functional collaboration, and maintaining team morale while meeting the deadline.
Pro tip: Show empathy for the team member's health first, then focus on solutions. Mention that you'd document lessons learned to improve future contingency planning, demonstrating proactive leadership.
Quickly evaluate the absent team member's critical tasks and dependencies. Identify which deliverables are must-have versus nice-to-have for the deadline.
Redistribute work among available team members based on skills and capacity, or bring in temporary help. Ensure no one is overloaded and provide necessary context.
Inform stakeholders (e.g., engineering, design, leadership) about the situation, adjusted plan, and any risks. Set clear expectations on what will be delivered and when.
Track progress daily, remove blockers, and be ready to descope or extend timeline if needed. Keep the team motivated and focused on the critical path.
After the deadline, check in on the team member's recovery and conduct a retrospective to improve future contingency planning.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.