Dealing with Misunderstandings

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Last week, my colleague Tom missed an important deadline. His manager was annoyed and sent him an angry email. Tom felt upset and was not sure what to do. I advised him to speak to her directly rather than replying by email.

“You should explain what happened honestly,” I told him. “You ought to apologise for the delay, but you should also mention the problems you faced.” Tom admitted that he had been confused by the instructions. He decided to ask for a short meeting.

During their conversation, Tom’s manager calmed down. She told him that he should have asked for help earlier. She also said that he should not worry too much about one mistake. They agreed that he would finish the work by Friday.

I think Tom handled the situation well. You had better address problems quickly before they become bigger. If someone is annoyed with you, you should listen carefully to their concerns. You ought to show that you understand their point of view.

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