Out of Control

Have you ever done everything you could to complete a business deal and then suddenly something beyond your control makes it all go away? Now what do you do? You really do have choices after disappointment. I spoke with another businesswoman about this recently. She had been working for several years on one of her biggest deals. During this time she talked with both the decision maker and the influencers. She had strong relationships with all of them. She helped them make good decisions to work towards their goals and the completion of the deal. Then one day it all came apart. Changes in the economy impacted this company’s plans in part of the country—my friend’s area and her deal. The deal was over at least for the foreseeable future. What did she do? Just what you should do.

I asked her what I always do when I work with clients. “Did you do everything you could have done to make the deal work? “Yes,” she said. “Was there anything else you could have done?” “No,” she responded. No one can change the economy. Even if she thought of a way to make the economy less of a factor there was nothing she could have done about budget cuts. We talked some more about what she learned about the deal that got away. She said, “You know I never count my deals until they’re done. If I had planned on spending the money from the deal before it closed, I would have been even more disappointed. I’m glad I didn’t let the deal get ahead of me. That’s a good thing. Even though I am very disappointed, I do know that I will get over it. And, it really helps to talk it over with someone else who understands the business.”

That kind of resilience is what you need when things turn out differently than you want. Having someone to talk with about the deal is what you need to get over your sadness. What about your business? Do you know someone who you trust and who understands your business? Can you count on this person to be there for you when you need to talk? The time to cultivate that relationship is now, not when you need the emotional support.

You have another option when things turn out differently than you want. You can dwell on your misfortune and hold an endless pity party. If you do, you’ll be far worse than just disappointed. You’ll get stuck. Being emotionally immobilized just might make you miss your next deal. Business is full of disappointments. What makes them manageable are the people in your support network who pick you up and give you the strength to move forward. Sometimes disappointments are out of your control in business. What’s in your control is that you choose to move on.