Monday, May 9, 2011

What To Do After You've Done A Bad Job

So, you just did a bad job.

It's not that you don't care or don't have the skills, you just missed the mark and have been informed of this. You've had a tough feedback session where you found you had little to say and were served enough humble pie to sink the USS Alabama. You're probably not the proud owner of a flux capacitor or a Delorean with time travel capabilities, which means that the only thing you can apply yourself to now is your reaction. You need to demonstrate that you are in fact awesome, and then all this unpleasantness can be eclipsed by something more positive. So, where to now?
  • Attitude. An obvious one, but humour me. This is my stance: let them point fingers at my skills and experience, because I'm still working on these. They're better every day. Let them point fingers at my knowledge because this is something I am continually investing in. But I won't give them a reason to point fingers at my attitude. This is because attitudes come from personalities and personalities seldom change, and people know this. It's a statement about the individual's approach and is the gatekeeper of potential. Poor attitude is a label which is difficult to rip off. Potential is held back by poor attitude. Choose to be the guy that has stuff to learn rather than the guy who won't, or doesn't want to, or the guy we don't want to ask because he's going to mope about it for a week. Recovery from tough feedback should be lead by an overt can-do response to everything, and positivity.
  • Show Interest. It's easy to respond by hibernating for a bit: sitting in your corner, putting your earphones in and listening to Radiohead. But there's still stuff going on around you and business will not slow down to aid your recovery. Ask questions and involve yourself in the stuff that's going on around you. If you hear your boss or someone talking about something that you can contribute to, involve yourself. This thing is not about personalities, and hibernation will just amplify the awkwardness for you. Add value to things where you can. Choose to learn and be open about it. Thank people for their input. Courage.
  • Maximum Attention. Be at work while you're at work. You may need to limit your distractions for yourself for the next little while, at least until you're flying again and being appreciated. Some maturity will be required here as you figure out what these are. Perhaps you should only be checking your Twitter at certain times, or getting into the office at a time when you can start strong. Focus on what is required for a convincing and effective recovery and push aside all that doesn't help you.
You can turn your toughest critics around. Your responsibilities and personal brand are yours to own.