Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself. ~Henry Ward Beecher
Have you ever worked on a project with a group of people, and one of them drops the ball and makes you look bad even though you did everything that was expected of you? Recently there have been some difficulties at Perfomancing Ads because of the negligence of one person. Articles are being written calling the program a scam because payments are somewhat delayed, and attacking the whole group of people who participated in the launch of the service, including me because I did the design, though I haven’t been involved with the project since the design was complete several months ago.
Performancing Ads is a great concept and there has been a hitch in the startup because one person hasn’t followed through with their responsibilities. Does that make it a scam? Of course not. I know all the people involved in the project and they are some of the best people I’ve ever worked with. Even the “ball dropper” was pretty good to work with. Performancing is taking measures to get the situation rectified and I’m confident payments will be sent as soon as possible and in fact, I believe at this point, payments have gone out.
What’s my point?
I’m not writing this post because I’m concerned about my reputation. Anyone who knows me and has worked with me knows that when I say I’m going to do something, I do it, and that I’ll go above and beyond to make sure those I do business with are completely satisfied and happy with the results. My main thoughts about this are that working in an online environment poses some very difficult challenges. When people are hired to work on a project, it is far too easy for them to flake out and leave others holding the bag. The relative anonymity of the online world means that people end up doing things that they would likely not do if they were working a regular day job and had to face people in the office every day.
Just a minute, let me step up onto my soapbox
If you say you’re going to do something, just do it. If you break it, fix it. If you screw up, make it right.
We all fall short of this at times in whatever business we’re in- I’ve certainly done my fair share, but you always have to keep in mind that when you drop the ball you’re not the only person it affects. Through your negligence you can damage someone else’s reputation and that’s much worse than damaging your own.
There are a lot of issues around accountability online, which is just what makes issues of trust, authority and reputation so important.
Just Do It that’s a good point to do something in art
That is a great post.Just encourages one to suceed.Your tips are also great.Thanks for sharing it.
Some good points made here. Online collaboration does indeed present some challenges. Rigorous project management can help , with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
I find myself doing all the work too often. But when it’s online, you cannot guarantee the collaboration. You have to take that into account before starting. And there’s little you can do about that, except work with a group of trustworthy people you have experience with. Someone you can trust and know won’t drop out on you.
I hear ya.
this is why I have always shied away from any kind of group situation. the extreme work ethic I have makes it unfair. Its better to stand or sink on ones own.
-Kara
http://www.meditations.etsy.com
Just Do It that’s a good point to do something in art
That is a great post.Just encourages one to suceed.Your tips are also great.Thanks for sharing it.
It is so difficult to do anything within a group environment. From the days in high school and college, when group projects were mandatory, any of us identifying ourselves as motivated and interested in finishing things was quickly singled out as the person in charge. We worked harder than the rest, made sure things looked good and were responsible for turning in things on time. This never changed once “real life” started! A terrible thought… but yes — unless you possess all the skills for making something online happen, you are going to be indebted to other persons. Organizing tasks and making sure things get completed is a sizable effort, and anyone who puts something together deserves commendation….
It’s tough to work on a team project when you are more serious about getting things done (and getting them done the right way) than are others.
Not everyone shares the same work ethic and sense of pride in doing things right. I think that makes it incredibly important to make sure that we choose team members very carefully.
Syd
I’ve really got to agree with you on this. When I first starting developing my E-commerce sites, the only employee was myself and my wife. If the business failed, it was our money d time spent which was at risk. Now with a huge list of regular clients, and a few staff to look after, it is even more important to stay focused on the business, and we drop the ball, we have to analyse the issue and find a solution. No more days of mashing keys and hoping the ship will right itself.
I think the web developer side of me preferred the low risk, but the business side of me likes the challenge
G Bruce
I agree with you about individuals having to step up to the plate and do what they’ve been assigned to no matter what. But I also think that as a project manager or owner delegating tasks for a high priority project you need to keep as close an eye as possible on all elements and maybe even install some fail safe measures if the project is too big to fail.
ditto what sam just said.
thanks for this info
Spot on! I like to think of myself as a real professional, and although it doesn’t happen often, sometimes I make mistakes. When I do, I own up to it, and fix it, and usually offer something free to my clients to make up for the snafu. But I can’t stand “pros” with no ethics who either try to pawn the blame off on someone else, or simply don’t care about it. I think it’s this type of work ethic that separates the true pros from the con artists.
This isn’t just a problem online as Green Directory pointed out. It starts in school and is present through all jobs and careers.
Some people just want to slide while others always do their best. As a professor, I constantly saw this in learning and performing groups.
As a researcher, I published most of my academic papers as a sole author because I met so few people who really did their part. When I found a research partner who did their share, I worked with them on many projects. Otherwise I just worked alone.
It’s more enjoyable to work with a good partner, but better to work alone than to work with one who want carry their load of the work.
Now that I’m on the Internet, I find the same is true. I’ve had employees and outsourcers who dropped the ball, costing me time and money,
I think the secret is to choose collaborators very carefully, but even then, you can make mistakes.
I’m presently wanting to take someone in my business to handle its technical side because I’m more or a writer and researcher.
But I’m not rushing it because I don’t want to make a mistake that will hurt my business.
It’s kind of like a marriage. My mother always told me that being single is far better than being in a bad marriage, but not nearly as good as being in a good marriage. The problem is both good marriage partners and good business partners are few and far between.
Warmly,
Linda P. Morton
Great tips and look forward to your future posts
great post..!
Just do it.. Don’t worry about the mistakes that might be happen..
How could we know something would be success if we don’t even try it..
Some good points made here. Online collaboration does indeed present some challenges. Rigorous project management can help , with clearly defined roles and responsibilities
C’est un grand post.Just encourage à suceed.Your conseils sont également great.Thanks pour partager.
every mountain presents a new challenge but once you overcome the hurdles you will feel much better.
I agree with taking responsibility and action on things you care about. We learn not to repeat mistakes by admitting and working on them.
If you do it yourself you do it better.. thats what I think of this. I`ve had some bad experiences with online collaborations..
I think that even though the internet might anonymize the process, it also democratizes it, and allows for a broader range of input. It’s a balance you have to weigh the advantages and disatvantages.
That is a great post. Just encourages one to suceed.Your tips are also great.Thanks for sharing it!
My father used to say to me, “your word is your deed”. I’ve embraced that and like you, I try and associate with people who do what they say they’ll do! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the post, this was inspirational.
May I know what wordpress theme you are using? It looks lovely.
Cheers
Vuze
Great theme but it not the question in this post
Have had some similar situations and it’s really a pain. Things like that can turn you in to a control freak, I’m almost there at least.
I think we have just before… thinking about success… or unsuccess. After we tried we can arrive at a conclusion and not before.
I like this info. This reminds me of an article Getting Things Done from wikipedia.
I’m presently wanting to take someone in my business to handle its technical side because I’m more or a writer and researcher
What an awesome post. It’s such a simple concept, yet so many people don’t get it. In the old days, it was about your word… people would die before they’d let their word not be good for something. It’s nice to find the occasional person online reminding people how important that is!
Thanks.
I think you are missing out on the “all in one seo plugin” and its well pass the time wordpress had some live flash pluggins
Hey Randa, i totally agree. Love this “If you say you’re going to do something, just do it. If you break it, fix it. If you screw up, make it right.” so true! Why do so many people keep breaking promises? Word is bond yet so many times people try and get away with the easy route hoping they don’t have to put in the work. At times, I’ve been the person needed to make aware of my short comings but my intention has always been to excel. you’re post has highlighted to everyone even more why we ALL need to keep our word and get the job done. It’s a win win situation.
A
We just viewed a John Maxwell segment on Leadership in our Networking group yesterday, and it covered the topic of Dependability. As good leaders we ourselves must be seen as dependable, and the dependability of the team and its members will reflect back on us. John counseled that if a team member leaves a void, that as leaders, we must step in and cover the bases. In a world where perception is everything, I can see the value in that lesson: team members must be dependable and honest about what they will contribute; and team leaders must be able to cover the bases when a member falls short on delivering the goods.
I think it’s especially true for internet collaboration because it is too easy for someone to just go off on their own at the drop of a hat. Kind of like how people who are normally quiet in real life would be constantly sprouting out harsh words through the safety buffer of the internet.
But really, on the day that everyone seriously thinks about how their actions will affect others, there would be no wars.
When you embark on a collaborative project, its difficult to find people who exactly meet your requirements, so you just have to do the best you can.
I think you are absolutely right not to be too worried about your reputation in this type of collaborative sitution. Having worked on similar projects, I know from experience that when things don’t go right, people normally search for the person who got it wrong at the end and they normally finger the correct person. The people who did their best but were pulled down by another don’t get any of the glory – there is none to go around – but their reputation remains intact. Be positive, move on.
Well there always an opposing mind around you. If a single resistance make you stop,then you’ll never walk a single step. What we have to do is do our best, concentrate to get the best result for whatever we’re doing.
I just wish I have enormous amount of motivation just like you.
I use to own a cleaning business with my cousin….
First mistake they say never mix business and family…
But we barley lasted a year because he was not holding up his end….
So I know how it feels
The law of averages dictates that something at some point will go wrong, and someone will disappoint. The important thing — as a business owner or as the principal on a project — is to be honest about what happened and move on. I have a client, a successful entrepreneur, who includes this saying among the company’s “rules to live by:” “It’s not about the who, it’s about the what.” It doesn’t matter who has the great idea, or who drops the ball…what matters is the bigger picture and the greater good.
I like this info
Great Article. I do wish everyone involved in group projects had the same work ethic but it is so hard to find someone who puts in as much as you do. There is always someone there to drop the ball and I guess we should all learn to expect that.
When Dealing with others on a project especially collaborating online…..its very hard to establish a good working relationship with someone in another country. I look forward to the day when I have a nice bullpen of good honest workers!
…it comes with how responsible you are to others and to yourself. You have a strong point there to nail it down on someone’s head. Not to make excuses or blame it to someone else. In my experience, it pays you back more when you stand by what you say you’ll do and take responsibility for whatever mistakes your team or you yourself have done. And spurs your confidence more, too.
yeah you are correct.I have done a mistake long before.I have started a project to make a website for blogger like social blogging site. I had hired a php developer on getafreelancer website.After some time due to financial problems i stopped the project, the developer is seriously hurt so i had paid 15$ to him(i have wasted a lot of time for my project). Now i am in the path to develop my pc walkthrough blog.
ur really an artist