No matter what role you play in your workplace, you’ve got to try and get along with everyone who works there. Sometimes, the relationship between colleagues can get rocky if one person messes up or tries to sabotage the other for personal gain.
This is exactly what one woman faced after her coworker made a huge mistake that ruined everything she had planned for. Even though it seemed like a silly gaffe at first, the poster wondered if the other woman had done it deliberately.
More info: Mumsnet
It’s a terrible feeling when someone else’s blunder at work causes problems for you
Image credits: Fox / Pexels (not the actual image)
The lady explained that she had been organizing a meeting with important clients for a couple of months and had even rearranged her schedule to accommodate it
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual image)
On the day of her meeting, a senior consultant wanted to discuss something with her, so she informed her colleagues about where she would be and had the discussion in a far-off room
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual image)
Nobody came to call her when the clients came for the meeting, and she later found out that her junior colleague had not made any effort to find her
Image credits: WilloWhisperer
The woman was annoyed with her colleague because it cost her a lot of work, and she felt like the other woman had done this to “prove a point”
The OP told netizens that her junior coworker was in charge of escorting and directing people around parts of the office. Despite that, the other lady did not even take a few minutes to find the poster and tell her that her clients had arrived. It seemed like she was being “purposely difficult” because she did not even apologize for her mistake later on.
Since you’ve got to spend so much time with people at work, it helps to build a good relationship with them. In situations like this when they seem to be intentionally causing trouble for you, it’s difficult to know how to skillfully handle such matters. That’s why Bored Panda reached out to Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, to get his insights on the matter.
He told us that “in this case, the employee should ask the junior colleague’s manager to remind the team about the importance of communication. That’s essential when clients are involved. If they have no clear process for handling client arrivals, one should be put in place and communicated to the whole team. The employee could also talk to the junior and explain the impact of their mistake.”
It’s essential to also determine whether the coworker has always been making mistakes like this or if it’s only a recent occurrence. Sometimes, folks might be dealing with difficult personal matters that might affect their performance at work. Being direct and speaking to them about the issue can make a big difference.
Peter Duris also told us that “we should be kind to interns, juniors, and younger or less experienced colleagues. Mistakes are often made by people with good intentions who are trying their best. If seniors already have empathy for juniors, giving constructive feedback is another step. On the other hand, unnecessarily harsh critique can damage your relationships with your colleagues.”
Image credits: Felicity Tai / Pexels (not the actual image)
The poster mentioned that her junior had a tendency to do things to prove a point, and that’s why she felt her actions were done on purpose. The main issue was that missing out on meeting the clients meant that the OP’s months of hard work had gone to waste, and it also wouldn’t bode well for her reputation.
Experts say that it’s essential to do damage control in a situation like this. Talk to the company’s leadership and set the record straight about what exactly happened. It helps to also have evidence to corroborate your story. This can be in the form of emails, messages, or even video proof.
We also asked Peter what workers could do to smooth things over with clients in case a mistake like this happens. He said that “when a junior messes up things with an important client, the senior should avoid directly mentioning the junior's mistake. Instead, they should accept responsibility as a team and apologize for the communication issue.”
“If the client already knows a junior was at fault, the senior can reassure them that extra training will be provided to prevent similar problems. The senior should personally reach out to the client, suggest rescheduling the meeting, and take a hands-on approach to make things right,” he added.
Whether the woman decides to confront her junior about the mistake or not, it would be great if the clients quickly agreed to another meeting. There’s no update on how she handled things with the other woman, but what exactly do you think the OP should do? We’d love to hear your ideas.
Folks were divided on the issue, and some felt that the poster was at fault for not being present for the meeting, while others thought that the coworker was completely in the wrong
