I had just finished one of the hardest conference calls of my college career when I sat down to write this blog post.
We had sent our client the first rounds of social media posts the previous day as per the creative service requests, and I was on the verge of throwing in the towel and finding solace in a bag of peanut M&Ms.
The next morning I was staring into the forlorn face of our creative coordinator as the client ripped apart the project we had spent weeks preparing. I think the words “unacceptable” and “subpar” were thrown in there somewhere, but I would have to consult my notes.
They hated it. They hated the company project. They hated my work.
What does one do with that?
I could give the most obvious advice and tell you that the only solution is to “pick yourself up and dust yourself off” and remember that “failure is a significant part of life.”
However, while the sentiment is true, it isn’t exactly what I wanted to hear at the moment. While failure is inevitable, it’s not something I want to make a habit of. Despite the embarrassment and disappointment bubbling up in my chest and tugging at my tear ducts, I remained calm. I assured the client that we would put the project in review and get back to them promptly with new material.
Then I set to work.
I find that in moments of crisis the best way to handle the situation is to address it immediately and transparently. There was no sugar-coating the truth to preserve feelings. As soon as I got off the call, I messaged my director and set up a meeting. It was time to lay down the facts, get to the bottom of our mistake and begin the process of picking up the pieces.
Second, I consulted my team. When you are working within an agency the mistake does not belong to you. Give others the opportunity to collaborate on the problem. Although I pride myself on being slow to panic, I am of the personality type to want to control the outcome of any situation. Take a deep breath and get multiple perspectives on the issue. Crafting a great client response is a team effort.
Third, I went about crafting an immediate follow up to the meeting. This portion was tricky. Not only did I have the job as an account coordinator to reconstruct the timeline, but I had to humble myself in a respectable manner so as to save face with the client company.
I didn’t begin with “I’m sorry.” An apology indicates an admission of wrongdoing. Our work, while disapproved by the client, was not offensive or inadequate. It just wasn’t right for the client voice or client project.
Instead, I began with a “thank you.” I thanked them for their honest feedback. I thanked them for giving our agency the chance to correct our mistakes, and I thanked them for treating our agency with enough respect to feel comfortable being blunt.
The way I see it, honest, critical feedback is a major compliment for a young professional. It means that a person takes you seriously enough to trust your judgement and your capability to make corrections. In the end, I was proud of the way I handled the situation despite the blood pressure spike I’ll be trying to alleviate over the next few days.
So, if you are struggling with the personal aspects of negative feedback, I offer these clichés. It’s business, not personal. Your performance is not dependent on the individual project. It is dependent upon your response to said project. “Dust off” that disappointment and resentment and get back to work.