F*cked up massively - work related. Perspective needed

[Stupidworkgirl]

I have an important business trip abroad tomorrow which myself and several other colleagues are going on. It is a major event in our industry and we have been planning it for a while. I have done the majority of the planning and have enjoyed it and was excited to attend. Our company director is going along with my boss and several coworkers, one of which reports to me.

I have lost my passport. I only realised this at 4pm today when packing. I am meant to fly out on an early morning flight. We have a very tidy minimalist home and have searched everywhere, it is definitely not here. I last travelled a few months ago and can only think I dropped it somewhere between security and my car.

I have called my boss who has told the MD. My boss was understanding and kind about it, I don’t know what the MDs reaction was. I’m absolutely gutted. Missing out on the event is a horrible feeling but is actually the least of it, that will wear off once it is over at the end of this week. It is more the damage to my reputation and how people might think of me going forward. I’m honestly considering leaving and finding a new job, as I don’t know how I will mentally bounce back from it.

Looking for reassurance or perhaps any similar tales or fucking up at work.

Would you have noticed it wasn't there when you unpacked last time?

I’ve had my DH and Mum check everywhere with me, they are both very level headed logical people. I’m so sure we would have found it. It really isn’t like me to drop something, I’m very organised and cautious but it must have somehow fallen on the floor in the airport or just outside.

I'm sorry OP, it's definitely not ìdeal but also don't think it's a major or longterm problem. You didn't lose the MDs passport. I don't think anyone will think badly of you- it can happen to anyone. Also, your house sounds like a dream!

@Rosecoffeecup i did wonder about this, and it is possible I wouldn’t have realised. I got back quite late and rushed into the house to see my DD before she went to bed, then rushed to unpack as I was back at work the next morning. I’m not sure I would have necessarily noticed it wasn’t there as at that point it doesn’t really matter as such, and you aren’t really unpacking to a list like you would be whilst packing.

Try every side pocket, inside pocket of all your bags, suitcases etc.

Go through everything in the safe where it normally is, could it have gotten mixed in with other paper work?

Try St Anthony, he has never failed me!

@Discwriter Haha we do love it being minimalist! But I must admit we can be smug about it sometimes and feel like we’re the sort of people who could never possibly lose anything, so it has brought us down a peg or two!

If you rushed into see DD last time, have you checked her room?

Absolutely try St Anthony. Never known to fail in my experience.

Same thing happened to me exactly 17 years ago. One of a lifetime trip to Moscow, current politics aside. My ex-husband “changed his mind” about “letting me go” and hid my passport the night before the trip. I have apologised at work, offered to cover the costs and went back to business as usual. Eventually, I went there on business again with another company, several times, in a more senior role.

Handle it professionally and move on, add value to your business in the best way you know. Things like that can happen to anyone and fair play to you owning it honestly.

I have an imaginary cringe box where I dump all these work related regrets, disappointments, bad decisions. It works every time - the moment I have filed the irritating situation here, it never comes back to my mind. Take care, no stress!

@Mrsbclinton Sadly this has been done, I must have checked the rucksack I last travelled with about 5 times and DH has checked it a few times too. The suitcase has been checked thoroughly, including unzipping the lining.

Do you keep in a drawer? If so have you properly pulled the drawer completely out of the cabinet? I’ve found all sorts when I pull all the drawers out hiding at the back. Frankly amazing amounts of stuff has got stuck.

I once went on a work trip with a brand new company credit card where (inexplicably) the expiry date was before the start date. I hadn’t checked it - why would you? - and only realised when it was declined as I checked into my hotel. I had about £100 in cash currency, and as a fairly recent graduate very little “space” on my own personal credit card. I felt like such a dick ringing into the office to say what had happened. To make matters worse the country I was visiting was Norway, where a can of Coke costs a million quid.

Has the safe got a little "carpet" in it or a shelf? It could be stuck under either of those.

DDs book bag, bookcase, inside the lining of a jacket, under the drivers seat or passenger seat of your car?

I can't believe you've given up searching. It will be there somewhere!

@Mama1978 I’m sorry you have been through similar and I’m glad you eventually got the opportunity to go on a similar trip. When did you find out he hid it? That’s awful. Thank you for the advice regarding moving forward with this.

Check your car...

I agree. Get someone to search your Suitcase for you.

I once lost my passport and searched my suitcase 3 times, looking in every single pocket etc. Only I clearly hadn’t because my DP found it there for me.

i also have a habit of putting in on the printer glass to scan. Check there.

All is not lost yet !!

You say this isn't like you, and accidents are never intentional, so you have to look in the odd places. But saying that, you are seeking perspective, and we can all give you that. This isn't that big of a mistake, certainly something you can bond with your colleagues over rather than one to run away from. And as for the opportunity this trip would have given you, there will be more. I've been in my career for over 25 yrs, there have been countless opportunities.

Laptop bag ?
Has it got a pocket on the outside, at the back?

Car is checked, mats out and everything. DH cleaned it recently anyway and hoovered it out so I knew it was unlikely but we checked it twice anyway.

I have messed up so much worse than this:
Missed deadline of tender costing client thousands
Missed sales meetings killing multi million pound deals dead
Forgotten to get so much shit signed. Had to get on a plane once to get the signature.

The outcome: absolutely nothing of consequence. If you're this worried about a mistake this small we all already know your performance overall is going to be great. So it's all good.

You've lost your passport. You haven't majorly fucked up at work. I thought you were going to say you'd made a mistake, costing your company thousands or something.

@Giraffapuses Thank you so much.

My rule for finding things is that if it's not in the place it should be, it's clearly somewhere it shouldn't be. So you need to do a fingertip search of anywhere big enough to conceal it. Kids toy box, everywhere. Maybe start with your study or wherever you keep paperwork.
(I'm sure you've already done this).

Once DH lost his wallet and it had slipped out of jeans pocket when he put them on a chair and launched itself down the back of a radiator.
Also down the side of car seats?

God don’t hand your notice in over this. Yes it’s a little bit of a cock up but it’s not a massive cock up. It’ll be forgotten fairly quickly and most of your colleagues have probably themselves experienced losing something important in the past.

See this as a challenge. Overcoming a minor cock up without giving up…shows great resilience. Stop giving yourself a hard time too. It’s done already!!

its disappointing for you that you’ll miss the opportunity but from a business perspective it’s a non issue - people lose passports, get sick, miss flights all the time.