Worried about work

[Estimated201]

Have been at my current job for 6 months and so far have done a good job and done well.

However, I am struggling with a current piece of work. I am the only one doing my job at my company and have not got anyone to help.

The deadline is this week. I can't do it.

I dont know what to do. I am scared of telling the client.

My bosses are on holiday at the moment. I am scared I am going to lose it.

[tribpot]

This seems like a lot of pressure for someone new to the company. Were you brought in because you already had expertise in this type of work? (I'm trying to figure out why they appear to have left you completely unsupported in this way). Who in the chain of command actually is in?

How close to be able to do the current piece of work are you, i.e. is it half done, are you completely stuck, is it not yet started? Can you tell the client it's been delayed? When does your boss get back?

[Estimated201]

I have had experience of the standard type of work i do daily and I do a good job of it. This particular piece of work is similar but so much more complex and larger than I have ever done before. It really is far beyond my skill set.

I hate not being able to do something. I pride myself on taking on a challenge and working it out. This is too much.

I have started it. But there is so much to do.

The main problem being more important work keeps cropping up stopping me from getting on with this.

It doesn't help that there is little motivation for me to do it when I am 99% sure that it will not bring any work in. Where I would much rather be spending my time on work that is either guaranteed or more of a chance for us to secure.

For me to do this, I would need no distractions, but being the only person in the company in my role, I cant ignore other requests from clients that come in every couple of days or so.

My boss gets back in next week. I feel like running away or like I should be looking for a new job if I cant do this.

I have just spoken to the client to say that due to the complex nature of the job that I am going to be unable to submit until the boss is here to assist. Obviously the client wasn't too happy with that as we have had it plenty of time. Although its bought more time, I really still don't see how to get through this as I am going to be in no more of a better position later on with it.

[tribpot]

Okay, you've bought some breathing room, which is good.

It sounds like either your boss unfairly piled this one on you or you perhaps bit off more than you could chew? Either way you've identified the key problems:

• the work is much more complex and beyond your skill set
  
• it's impossible to do focus on it and do it justice whilst dealing with BAU requests from other clients
  
• you can't justify taking time away from said other clients when this is so unlikely to generate new business.
  

Did your boss specifically tell you to do this piece of work, and give an indication of the relative priority? Have you been giving him/her updates about your progress to indicate how you've been struggling with the factors mentioned above?

I don't think you need to run away; this isn't the work you were hired to do. If you've over-committed, you apologise and learn the lesson. But your boss should have been monitoring your progress and making sure the company could deliver for this particular client.

Is it practical to go over your boss' head in his/her absence? I think notifying the company of the problem as soon as possible would be a good idea. If there's really no-one to notify, I would make sure when your boss gets back you present him/her with a number of options to resolve, i.e.:

• reduce the scope of the work to make it more manageable
  
• he/she fends off the BAU requests until the work is done
  
• [what I think should happen] let the client down and say it can't be done.
  

The last is obviously unpleasant and unfair, but it's the most honest way out of the mess now.

[Estimated201]

Thanks for your reply.

I definitely bit of more than I could chew with this one.

The bosses wouldn't usually take on this sort of work but its a large client we regularly work with so they didn't want to let them down.
I indicated to the bosses at the time the work was received that if it wasn't for this particular client I wouldn't even start to consider it.

I have been giving updates, but not as often as I should have been. I have been a bit like a deer in headlights and made me quite unproductive with the worry.

Having spoken to the client this morning, I have found out that we are not the only company pricing the job up for them, and that the other company is struggling and has advised of a delay also.
This is good and bad, Good because it means that we are not the only company our client is relying on, and we are in the same boat as the other company. Bad, that if the other company are struggling, there may be more pressure for me to submit the work.

Out of all options, my thoughts is to decline. Even at this late stage, I don't see any reason why the work should be done.

[CotswoldStrife]

Have you been avoiding doing this? It does come across that way, tbh. There are only two companies quoting, the other one hasn't completed yet but you think there is no chance of getting the work (because it sounds more like if you get it done, then you'll be in prime position!).

It can be difficult to get started on a task if it's daunting, but it's a bit too late IMO to stop now. If you really crack on with it, how long do you think it will take?

[tribpot]

So if this is the amount of effort to bid for the work, can the company actually do the work if it is successful? I think it is good in one way that the other company is struggling to price it as well, suggests that the brief is too hard and/or the client is trying to get the work done on the cheap by asking two firms where it can lean on existing relationships, rather than engaging specialists?

[Estimated201]

The reason its unlikely for us to secure the work is that our client isnt geared up for it. Its highly specialist and they are unlikley to secure it themselves, we would just be a small part of the overall work.

Cotswoldstrife - Yes, ive been avoiding it. Although I have had other work that I have seen as taking priority.

I feel like I am about to break down with the pressure. I am shaky, not sleeping and having palpitations