First, a big hello to anyone who found me from FreelanceSwitch.com. Welcome!
It is inevitable that something might go wrong during any given day. You might get the wrong order from your supplier, the file you sent might not print correctly, your employee might be drop a tray of glasses - anything that can go wrong, as they say, might.
The thing is how do you deal with it? How do you quickly, effectively, and from your heart deal with the difficult situations, people and problems that you work with. Simple: you act with a place of true integrity and kindness, but you are firm and clear.
So, what does that mean?
Take for example the file that I sent to a client years ago for an ad in a big magazine. The ad was just what she wanted, I had worked on the design to match her branding, the copy was strong - but it printed completely fuzzy. In a HUGE magazine. My first thought was why didn't the magazine look at the art and make sure that all of their ads were printing correctly? Easy to put the blame on them, right. My second thought was that the client looked a the final print out from the magazine and they should have caught it. Blame two.
Both of those things are true, but ultimately the problem was mine. I made the mistake. I should have been the one that caught it. It was my project and I let my client down. So, instead of doing the blame game I owned up to it. I said that it was truly my mistake and that I would not charge her, I would work with the magazine to have the ad placed in the next publication, and I would recommend another marketing studio for her to work with in the future. And I said I was sorry.
They saw immediately that I had taken ownership of the issue and instead of firing me they continued to work with me and recommended me to their associates.
If I had chosen the other way, the blame game, I would have lost out in so many ways.
Working from a place that is real and knowing that I, you and the guy down the block isn't perfect is much easier. Admit your mistakes, find a remedy and move on. We will all work better for it.
Photo Credit: LevyFuLop
