You are going to make a mistake … no doubt about it.
It happens to the best of us. It’s human to err after all.
The key is knowing how to respond when you do screw up.
Follow the 6-step PICKLE approach to minimize your mistake. And to prevent it from happening again.
Every Day is Different
The great thing about working in an advertising agency is that every day is different.
New projects are always starting up.
It may be a new television campaign. Or a website redesign.
New clients come on board. Or a new product needs to be launched.
Whatever the case, each new project brings new challenges.
Mistakes Happen
Unfortunately, as an Account Manager you’re often thrown into situations without a lot of training.
It’s simply impossible for you to be prepared to handle everything that comes at you.
Or you’ve got too many projects to handle at once.
You’re smart … so you figure out a lot on your own. You watch others … and learn as much as you can as you go along.
But you may miss an important detail. Or something gets overlooked.
We’ve all been there … your supervisor has definitely been there.
Use the PICKLE Approach
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, follow this 6-step approach to solve it for the best possible outcome.
PROFESS Your Guilt
The first step is to own it.
Do not pretend you don’t know what happened or why.
Do not deflect responsibility on someone else.
If you messed up, you are better off admitting it. You will be respected for your integrity and in the long run, will become someone the team and clients know they can trust.
As an Account Manager, earning the trust of your team members and clients is probably the most important thing you can have.
INFORM Your Supervisor
Do not try to hide the mistake.
Talk to your supervisor as soon as possible. The longer it lingers, the worse it will get.
Your supervisor will likely be a little upset, but he should appreciate your honesty to bring this to his attention. You’re building more of that valuable trust.
Together you and your supervisor can move to the next step.
CONCEPTUALIZE Solutions
Instead of focusing on the problem, you (and your supervisor) need to turn to problem-solving mode pretty quickly.
Brainstorm possible solutions.
Look at the problem from all sides and consider the options. Think about the pros and cons of the viable solutions.
KNOW the Plan
The best solution will likely become obvious … or you may have a couple of options to take to the team or the client.
Determine the go forward plan and make sure you and your supervisor are on the same page.
LEARN From Your Mistake
People will forgive you for making a mistake.
But not if you repeatedly make the same mistake.
So be sure you understand how or why the mistake happened. And then determine what you can do next time to make sure the same mistake never happens again.
It may require a change in your process.
Or maybe you skipped a step this time … so you’ll know to never skip that step again.
Whatever the case is, look for what can be done next time and then do it … every time.
EXPLAIN to Others
Once you and your supervisor have the solution worked out, it will be time to explain the situation and the solution to others. It may just be the internal team.
Or it may be necessary to tell the client–just be sure your supervisor agrees and he determines who should be the one to tell the client.
Act Fast
It’s important when a mistake strikes, to act fast. Work through the PICKLE process as soon as the mistake is discovered and as quickly as possible. Just remember:
Profess
Inform
Conceptualize
Know
Learn
Explain
You’ll be out of that pickle in no time … and less likely to repeat the mistake again. And you’ll have built up more trust with your supervisor, team, and client.
Don’t Miss a Thing
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