One of my first consulting tasks was to cover for someone who was going on vacation for a week, and I was to assist the client with data extractions and reporting. I was promised it would be an easy week.
Within a few days, I was called to the director’s office and asked to develop a program to extract all open job requisitions and publish them to the intranet, as well as those that remain unfilled, to the internet corporate website.
This occurred in late 1998. The enterprise application did not have any web features. The browser of choice was Netscape Navigator. The HTML standard was still in its infancy. I stood there for a few minutes, observing their facial expressions, and asked, “What’s the catch?” The Director grinned and added, “Your instincts are good. This is set to go online on Monday. Five days from now.” The Vice President of Human Resources jumped in, saying, “Money is no object. Use anything you need to install and set up.”
To say I panicked is an understatement. I needed to think outside the box and come up with a scalable and dependable solution. I sat at my desk and began leaning into my strengths, querying the database to become acquainted with the information. Then I began researching how I might convert the data into HTML websites.
I encountered too many barriers to list here. Limitations to the programming environment. Content development and administration were virtually non-existent. I worked almost nonstop till late Friday night and had figured out the solution.
The customer was so pleased and amazed that they decided to keep/extend me even after the individual returned from vacation. For more than 7 years. They put me on every other project they had, regardless of experience, because of my ability to never give up and solve problems swiftly with a scalable solution.
What are the takeaways from this real-life experience story?
- Be prepared to face unexpected difficulties and opportunities. I was asked to accomplish something that was not part of my original job, but I was prepared, accepted the challenge, and presented a solution quickly.
- Use your imagination and resourcefulness to solve challenges. Despite many technological limits and challenges, I was able to translate the data into websites and match the client’s needs.
- Never give up and keep learning. I worked around the clock and didn’t allow the pressure or intricacy of the challenge to deter me. I also benefited from the experience, enhancing my abilities and expertise.
- Develop trust and rapport with your customer. My efforts and results pleased the customer with my work and attitude, and I was rewarded with further contracts and extensions. I also built a long-term relationship with the client via mutual respect and satisfaction.
#implementation #clientsuccess #clientadvocate #problemsolver #clientrelationships #advocate
