So I really [censored] up at work...

[nolanfan34]

This thread is for sharing big work-related screw ups and embarassing moments. Make me feel better OOT.

This past Monday we had a big web cast worldwide all-hands event for our organization. It was the first all-hands for our new VP. I produced the event, and was tapped to host and moderate the Q&A portion as well. This was a pretty big deal for me, since it's a large WW org, and a live event. It would also be the first live on camera thing I've really done since my news reporter days 6 years ago.

So I'm racing around at the event, getting the last things finalized. We had a live audience locally attending in person as well. I get the green light from the studio that we're live, and I kick off the all-hands, getting ready to introduce the VP.

But before I do that, I talk about the agenda for the web cast. So I click on the PPT.

And it's the wrong slide.

It's cued up to a Q&A question we'll have later on.

So I have to scramble - live - and get back to the beginning of the presentation. Everything else went fine after that, and people said I handled it well, but I felt like an idiot.

Post some big work screwups you've had. Global scale preferred plz. Apologies if this thread has been done before.

[IggyWH]

Nolan,

I know when I see a live screwup like that, I don't think badly about it unless the person can't recover from it. I got respect for the people who can recover and move on as it seems like a skill some just have and not something you can ever teach/train.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Whoops!

[Kneel B4 Zod]

mine it the typical "whoops sent that email to my clients instead of co-workers" story.

I basically called them dumb/incompetent, and sent it to them instead of to a buddy. fortunately they were dumb so nothing too bad came of it.

[RayPowers]

Recent Work Screwup:


We're designing a new system to replace our legacy one, and I'm on the team to redesign the User Interface. I demo some of the original screens to the CEO and the VP of Electronic Commerce. CEO only has one change and we're good to go! I'm excited and we move forward creating the next twenty screens or so.

In demoing the next set of screens, VP asks me why I rejected the CEO's one and only suggestion. I was so rushed and ecstatic to get moving, I forgot all about it. oops. Now back to fixing the twenty screens instead of two.

Ray

[DrNo888]

Made a mistake when I signed off some paper work to release some parts to production. Unfortunately, there was a mistake and it cost our company a few hundred thousand dollars. At least I wasn't fired.

[By-Tor]

NF,

That is an extremely common and minor screw up, but a huge thinly vailed 'wish me happy birthday' [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. I think it happens in 1/2 the meetings I go to. Don't think twice about it.








oh, and Happy Birthday!

[firstyearclay]

[ QUOTE ]
Whoops!

[/ QUOTE ]

haha nasa sucks.

fyc

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Whoops!

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you have something to do with this? If so, I guess you win!

[nolanfan34]

ByTor,

Yeah, having it happen in a meeting is not a big deal at all. Global web cast to 10k+ employees? Maybe a little different.

Dr. No,

Dang, that is a really good one, also a great example.