The stuff-up

It starts with that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach… Then the internal debate begins…

Optimist: “Is it possible I just stuffed up?”

Realist: “Yep, you did.”

Optimist: “But surely it’s not that bad?”

Realist: “Yep, it’s that bad.”

Optimist: “Don’t be silly. I can’t possibly have done something that stupid and careless!”

Realist: “Yep, you did.”

And so the realisation takes hold… you have indeed made the worst blunder of your career… an error so grave that you have taken a global company’s major financial system down for 12 hours during the busiest time of month, impacted up to 300 users worldwide, caused hours of extra work for colleagues late into the night and effected the performance statistics of the team who entrusted you to complete the work.

Oops.