TOW#611 — Cancelling
The other day our colleagues had a situation where they found out at the last moment that a new text wouldn’t be delivered on time, and not only was it not sent, but the authors seem to have disappeared as if swallowed by the ground. Unbelievable! Sad!
I really don’t have a problem with cancellations. Anything can happen, even cancelling at the last minute, but for the cancellation to be done by simply disappearing or just all of a sudden deciding that you can’t finish what you said you would, and that’s it — that’s not OK! It’s not professional, it’s not ethical, it’s not polite, it’s not…
You should be aware that the future of other people depends on your work, and what you need to deliver may not mean much to you, but it might mean a lot to someone else! Now then, if we look at it from that angle and realise that it’s not at all cool to cancel at the last minute, I’d like to tell you how to do it less painfully, because it can never be totally painless:
1. Time — do your best, if you know you won’t be able to finish what you need to do, to let others know as soon as possible! They may be able to find a replacement who can get the job done, but if you inform them at the last second, it’s impossible to find a replacement!
2. Sharing info — depending on where you are and what your communication is like, it’s best to cancel:
- in person — it should be a little awkward for you too, since the situation will of course not be pleasant anyway, but at least you can start looking for a solution right away;
- by phone — if you’re unable to do it face to face, then the phone is the next option, and just like in person it won’t be pleasant, but look for a solution;
- electronically (email, private message, etc.) — now here you must be very careful and we’ve written about this a few thousand times. You must explain why and provide some direction, as well as your thoughts on how to proceed.
3. Help — if you’ve decided you must cancel, then at least offer to help. Not only is cancelling by vanishing off the face of the Earth not OK, but not offering any help at all speaks very badly of you as a person, and you know how the saying goes: negative criticism travels far and wide!
So, there are generally three basic rules to keep in mind when it comes to cancelling something, and as you can see, empathy is integral to all three (BASIC) rules, as well as the fact that yes, you’re guilty of saying you could and now that you can’t, but still, if you follow at least one of these rules, things will work out a little better for you!
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
@kalinbabusku
Member of the Team
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