After drawing several lessons from my colleague’s data error, I began to observe the stories around me even more closely. One story, in particular, left me thinking for a long time—not because the person involved lacked competence, but on the contrary, because they were incredibly seasoned and experienced.
Table of Contents
1. When experience cannot protect your reputation
This involved a senior figure in the company. He had been in the industry for years, knew the clients by heart, was a master of the processes, and understood every nook and cranny of the internal operations. In my eyes, he was the type of person who was “incapable of making a mistake.”
Yet, he stumbled over a decision that seemed routine: promising a timeline to a client without fully confirming it with the relevant departments. The pressure of KPIs, the urge to retain the client, and the habit of “nodding quickly to move things along” made him believe the internal team would manage to pull it off, just like they always had. But this time, luck was not on his side.
2. One hasty promise, endless consequences
The deadline was missed, the project stalled, and of course, the client was furious. Internal tensions reached a breaking point because the team was placed in a “fait accompli” situation—forced to deal with a decision already made. The greatest loss wasn’t the KPI figures; it was his reputation—the very thing he had spent his entire career building.
I will never forget the look in his eyes during the debriefing meeting. It wasn’t the confusion of a novice; it was the heavy weight of a man who understood exactly where he went wrong. That moment made me realize: experience exempts no one from error. In fact, sometimes experience itself creates a “blind spot” that makes people more complacent, simply because they think they are too familiar with handling similar situations.
3. Don’t let short-term pressure steal long-term value
I wasn’t the one directly responsible, but I learned a “painful” lesson for myself:
- Never commit without thorough verification: A commitment shouldn’t just be based on your desires; it must be based on the actual capacity of the entire system.
- The consequence of saying “yes” too soon: It can force an entire collective to strain themselves to fix an error. And when things are beyond saving, the person at the front of the wave—the one who made the commitment—is the first to lose their credibility.
The pressure to achieve results can easily make us trade long-term values for temporary outcomes. But there are some things that, once cracked, no amount of sales or KPIs can ever repair.
4. Slowing down to be more certain
From the story of my predecessor, I learned to speak more slowly. Before promising anything to a client or partner, I’ve learned to say: “Let me double-check with the team” instead of “Don’t worry, consider it done.”
This approach might make me look a bit slower, but it helps me work more reliably. I understand that true professionalism doesn’t lie in making flowery promises, but in only promising what I am certain I can deliver.
Seeing a predecessor stumble didn’t make me respect them any less. On the contrary, it taught me that a career path requires not just competence, but constant alertness—especially when we’ve traveled far enough to assume we are no longer prone to mistakes.
How do we keep a cool head when faced with pressure from clients or superiors? Let me know your thoughts!
