How to Handle a Work Setback

In a world where success is celebrated, it’s equally good to think about how you handle a work setback. While some may be shocked to learn things don’t always turn out perfectly on the job, being able to refocus after bad news is an important skill.

Recently, on LinkedIn, I surveyed my followers about how they prefer to handle work setbacks. Here are the results:

Reflect and learn: 75%
Move on to something else: 14%
Seek mentor advice: 6%
Try, try again: 6%

Let’s discuss each of these options so you can find the right strategy for you.

Reflect and Learn

In some ways it’s good to see this option being so popular, as it often involves the most honesty. Can you step back from a setback and consider what went wrong? And are there lessons you can apply the next time you’re in a similar situation?

Sometimes you simply made a mistake or didn’t take some variable into consideration. But the failure doesn’t have to be permanent.

And sometimes, a situation outside your control doomed your success. In this case, you need to judge your effort and not the outcome.

Move On To Something Else

There are those times when the best way to handle a work setback is to forget it and move on. There are no lessons to be learned or growth to experience.

Often this may involve some kind of subjective decision that didn’t go your way. It was a matter of preference, rather than competence.

Seek Mentor Advice

You may be too close to a problem or a challenging situation to clearly interpret it. Someone with more professional experience can give you valuable perspective.

For instance, being laid off is never fun. However the layoff might allow you to find a better position. But in the moment, the sting of the loss may keep you from thinking about the big picture.

Someone with a little more experience might help refocus you on what you did achieve and what you can do in your next act.

Try, Try Again

This option is popular with many athletes, where they may have gone up against competition that was a lot better than them. You lose in a big way. The same thing can happen in business.

While this humbles you, it may the be the feeling you need to raise your game. And sometimes you realize that while your best was not good enough, it’s a matter of getting better. Success may be further down the road but it is accessible.