In our working lives there will come times when deals we are working on go wrong, potentially spectacularly. How we react in many ways defines us as professionals.
I recall working to conclude a complex commercial service contract involving a joint venture structure where I was acting for the lead supplier. As we moved into the day of completion and turned up with all the contracts ready for signature the customer suddenly claimed to have found a procedural problem with our bid which threatened the whole transaction.
We were all sent off to a side room to await their decision. A very experienced corporate partner from my firm calmly asked what had happened - he had been waiting in the wings for the completion. Then he told us to make careful notes of what had transpired ready to mount a challenge to any adverse decision.
He changed the atmosphere from one of panic to a constructive approach, effectively saying well OK this has happened, now let's decide what we will do about it.
I recall working to conclude a complex commercial service contract involving a joint venture structure where I was acting for the lead supplier. As we moved into the day of completion and turned up with all the contracts ready for signature the customer suddenly claimed to have found a procedural problem with our bid which threatened the whole transaction.
We were all sent off to a side room to await their decision. A very experienced corporate partner from my firm calmly asked what had happened - he had been waiting in the wings for the completion. Then he told us to make careful notes of what had transpired ready to mount a challenge to any adverse decision.
He changed the atmosphere from one of panic to a constructive approach, effectively saying well OK this has happened, now let's decide what we will do about it.
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