Common Mistakes
This page documents mistakes that new employees commonly make. Learn from these to avoid making them yourself.
Sales and Qualification Mistakes
Mistake: Over-promising to Close a Deal
What happens: In eagerness to win business, new employees promise capabilities we don't have or flexibility we don't offer.
Why it's a problem: Creates engagements doomed to fail. Damages reputation. Creates scope disputes.
How to avoid: If you're not sure we can do something, don't say we can. "Let me confirm that internally" is always acceptable.
Mistake: Insufficient Qualification
What happens: New employees accept all prospects as good fits without proper qualification.
Why it's a problem: Bad-fit clients consume disproportionate time and energy. They become problem engagements.
How to avoid: Use the qualification questions. Ask about IT capability, ownership expectations, and budget reality early.
Mistake: Avoiding the Hard Conversation
What happens: Rather than address misalignment, new employees hope it will work out.
Why it's a problem: Misalignment always surfaces eventually — usually after significant investment from both parties.
How to avoid: Address potential misalignment directly and early. It's better to have an uncomfortable conversation now than a failed project later.
Mistake: Not Saying No
What happens: When asked for something out of scope, new employees try to accommodate rather than decline.
Why it's a problem: Scope creep, unrealistic expectations, and eventual conflict.
How to avoid: Know the Non-Offerings cold. Practice saying no. Remember: declining is quality control, not failure.
Communication Mistakes
Mistake: Using Vendor Language
What happens: New employees describe us as a "software company," talk about "our product," or imply we sell software.
Why it's a problem: Creates fundamental misunderstanding of our relationship. Sets wrong expectations.
How to avoid: Review the Language Guide. We are consultants. We advise. We enable. We don't sell.
Mistake: Implying We'll Operate Systems
What happens: Phrases like "we'll take care of it" or "don't worry about that" imply ongoing operational responsibility.
Why it's a problem: Clients expect us to operate systems we're not equipped or intended to operate.
How to avoid: Always clarify that clients operate their own systems. Use explicit language about client ownership and responsibility.
Mistake: Minimizing Trade-offs
What happens: To avoid difficult conversations, new employees downplay complexity, cost, or constraints.
Why it's a problem: When reality emerges, clients feel misled. Trust is damaged.
How to avoid: Be honest about trade-offs up front. See Explaining Trade-offs.
Mistake: Giving Estimates as Commitments
What happens: New employees provide rough estimates that clients treat as fixed commitments.
Why it's a problem: "You said it would be X" becomes a dispute when reality differs.
How to avoid: Always caveat estimates. Use ranges. Document that estimates are not quotations.
Scope Mistakes
Mistake: Scope Creep Acceptance
What happens: Small additions pile up without formal scope changes, expanding the work without adjusting price or timeline.
Why it's a problem: Projects become unprofitable. Timelines slip. Quality suffers.
How to avoid: Every addition is a scope change. Document and price it formally.
Mistake: Assuming Scope Is Obvious
What happens: New employees don't define scope precisely, assuming everyone shares the same understanding.
Why it's a problem: Different assumptions become disputes later.
How to avoid: Write it down. Be specific. Include exclusions, not just inclusions.
Mistake: Accepting Undefined Requirements
What happens: Engaging before requirements are clear, hoping to "figure it out" along the way.
Why it's a problem: Can't price, can't scope, can't succeed without requirements.
How to avoid: Insist on requirements definition. It can be a paid phase if necessary.
Process Mistakes
Mistake: Not Escalating
What happens: New employees try to handle everything themselves, not wanting to appear uncertain.
Why it's a problem: Mistakes are made. Commitments are given that shouldn't be.
How to avoid: Escalation is expected and valued. When uncertain, escalate. See Escalation Paths.
Mistake: Making Pricing Decisions
What happens: New employees negotiate pricing or give discounts without authority.
Why it's a problem: Undermines pricing integrity. Creates precedents.
How to avoid: All pricing deviations require escalation. Standard rates are standard.
Mistake: Not Documenting
What happens: Conversations, decisions, and commitments aren't documented.
Why it's a problem: No record when disputes arise. Knowledge lost.
How to avoid: Document everything significant. If you said it to a client, write it down.
How to Recover from Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is how you handle them:
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Acknowledge promptly. Don't hide mistakes or hope they'll go away.
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Escalate immediately. Tell someone who can help fix it.
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Correct with clients if necessary. "I need to correct something I said earlier" is professional, not weak.
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Learn and share. Help others avoid the same mistake.
The goal is continuous improvement, not perfection. But the same mistake twice is a problem.