Of course, everybody tries to do things right. No one really sets out to do wrong, but Murphy’s Law (yes, if things can go wrong, they will) applies in spades once it gets started. When you’re working on a tight deadline, it is almost expected for things to go wrong and despite all your careful planning, you are sometimes thrown off the timeline – computer systems stop working, you lose power, your Internet connection goes south…name it; it could likely happen.

When things go wrong, how does your reaction add to the final outcome? Do you choose creativity over stress; excitement over anger? While you can’t anticipate exactly what will go wrong at any particular time, you can handle the unexpected if you hang on to your sanity and keep the right attitude. Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Prompt Notification. A letter or e-mail should be sent right away or a phone call has to be made. In a professional and courteous tone, give the client detailed information of the project’s current status and extent of the delay. Of course, apologies are expected; do it sincerely. Your message (however you choose to convey it) should express the desire to preserve and maintain good business relations with the client.

2. Provide options and negotiate a subsequent deadline. If there is no way you can make the deadline, it’s a lot better to ask for an extension. Whatever you do, make sure you meet this new deadline. I don’t have to tell you that missing two deadlines in a row is definitely bad news for your reputation. (But I just did, didn’t I?)

3. Avoid the blame game. If you are working with a team, you may be tempted to go on a ranting rampage (perhaps somebody forgot to pay the Internet bill), but remember that the others have done their part to keep things running on time and they are probably as frustrated and disappointed as you are. While the project is underway, none of you can afford wasting more time pointing fingers or laying blame. It is critical to set aside emotions and continue working as a team – at least, until the project is behind you.

4. Stay up late/Put in more hours. If you’re up against a tight (second) deadline, do whatever it takes to fulfill your obligation. That can mean staying up late and working long hours, including weekends or holidays. It may be tough, but you just have to do it. Remember, you’re not just saving your face and reputation, you are honoring a commitment.

It’s an unfortunate reality that things don’t always turn out the way you’d planned or wanted. Although feeling annoyed and frustrated is perfectly natural, you need to take your energy and focus on how to salvage the situation, rather than dwell on what went wrong or why it did. Besides, isn’t it true that you learn more when things don’t go well than you would in a status quo? Cheer up and get things done!

Tags: job, job duties, job skills, job tips, jobs, new job, Personal Branding, professional

This entry was posted on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 2:04 pm and is filed under Free Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.