Gracefully Getting Out of a Meeting
March 13, 2020 1:04 PM
I have a meeting with a client in about 2 hours. I am at home not feeling well. I'm also not ready to have this conversation just in general. Unfortunately, I have already spoken to this client twice about this meeting and I feel really really bad about needing to cancel. is there anything that I could say that would soften the awkwardness of having to say can we please reschedule?
I haven't had time to prepare for this meeting at all. This means that the deck that I would normally be presenting is unfinished and not to the caliber that I would want to present to this particular client. I'm also very tired. I worked about 50 hours already this week and I am sort of getting sick, though not with the Corona virus thankfully. Unfortunately I have contacted this client twice by email this week to let them know about delays related to the meeting deliverable already. Is there anything that I could say that will make the third delay less stupid? Or should I suck it up? I know this is unprofessional - it's just one of those weeks where I had so much to do that a) this fell by the wayside and b) I am now tired and slightly ill. No one else on my team can have this meeting for me.
I haven't had time to prepare for this meeting at all. This means that the deck that I would normally be presenting is unfinished and not to the caliber that I would want to present to this particular client. I'm also very tired. I worked about 50 hours already this week and I am sort of getting sick, though not with the Corona virus thankfully. Unfortunately I have contacted this client twice by email this week to let them know about delays related to the meeting deliverable already. Is there anything that I could say that will make the third delay less stupid? Or should I suck it up? I know this is unprofessional - it's just one of those weeks where I had so much to do that a) this fell by the wayside and b) I am now tired and slightly ill. No one else on my team can have this meeting for me.
This is probably the one time where if you say you’re sick and it’s best you don’t come in, no one will argue with you! Don’t feel bad, a lot of people are about to be cancelling a lot of things and we all just have to accept it.
posted by Jubey at 1:25 PM on March 13, 2020
posted by Jubey at 1:25 PM on March 13, 2020
As a client, I might be annoyed by this, or I might be happy not to have a late Friday meeting. Hard to say.
But, this week of all weeks, if you are feeling unwell I think that's likely to be given a pass. I'd go with number9dream's suggestion and punt the meeting well into next week if possible to give you time to over-prepare.
posted by jzb at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2020
But, this week of all weeks, if you are feeling unwell I think that's likely to be given a pass. I'd go with number9dream's suggestion and punt the meeting well into next week if possible to give you time to over-prepare.
posted by jzb at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2020
I'd be pretty upset if someone came to a meeting showing any signs of sickness right now. In general, I'd be cranky about it, but right now, I might actively and directly tell them to GTFO.
posted by advicepig at 8:02 AM on March 14, 2020
posted by advicepig at 8:02 AM on March 14, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by number9dream at 1:16 PM on March 13, 2020