Turning Setbacks into Better Decisions

Read/Listen first

Yesterday, I was reviewing a software rollout when a stakeholder flagged a setback we hadn’t expected. While the team was testing the new workflow, the demo environment crashed, and we missed a small deadline by two hours. We have fixed the issue through trial and error, and we’ve already documented a workaround in the project channel. If we had more time, we would run an extra stress test, but we have to ship the update before Friday, so we should prioritise what matters most. After the call, I wrote a clear summary, because people were joining from different time zones and nobody wanted another confusing thread. This morning, the stakeholder has replied with two questions, and I’ve suggested a quick debrief to confirm the new plan and reset expectations. Next time, we’ll build a buffer, unless the scope is truly tiny.

⚡ Learning goals

• Can describe a project setback and explain what happened during testing.
• Can summarise recent progress and actions taken to fix an issue.
• Can propose next steps, negotiate priorities, and set realistic expectations.

✨ Key language

• flag a setback “We flagged a setback early.”
• document a workaround “We documented a workaround quickly.”
• reset expectations “We reset expectations on the call.”

⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures

1️⃣ Past simple vs Past continuous

Rule: Use past continuous for the background action and past simple for the interrupting event.
Examples: While the team was testing the new workflow, the demo environment crashed.; I was reviewing the rollout when the stakeholder flagged a setback.; We missed the deadline by two hours.
Common pitfall + fix: Using past simple for both actions when one was in progress. — Use ‘was/were + -ing’ for the action in progress, then past simple for the event..

2️⃣ Present perfect for recent actions/results

Rule: Use present perfect to connect a past action to a present result.
Examples: We have fixed the issue through trial and error.; The stakeholder has replied with two questions.; I’ve suggested a quick debrief to confirm the new plan.
Common pitfall + fix: Saying ‘We fixed’ when the result is still relevant now. — Use ‘have/has + past participle’ when the result matters now..

3️⃣ Second conditional (If + past, would + base)

Rule: Use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical situations and their results.
Examples: If we had more time, we would run an extra stress test.; If the scope were tiny, we would ship even faster.; If we had a bigger buffer, the setback would feel smaller.
Common pitfall + fix: Using ‘will’ in the if-clause: ‘If we will have more time…’. — Use past simple in the if-clause and ‘would’ in the result clause..

4️⃣ Modals for obligation/advice (have to, should)

Rule: Use ‘have to’ for obligation and ‘should’ for advice or recommendation.
Examples: We have to ship the update before Friday.; We should prioritise what matters most.; We should build a buffer next time.
Common pitfall + fix: Using ‘must to’ or forgetting ‘to’ with ‘have’. — Say ‘have to’ (not ‘have’) and ‘should’ + base verb..

✍️ Vocabulary

  trial and error

Meaning: learning or solving by trying different options until something works
Synonyms: experimentation, iterative testing
Chunk/Idiom: through trial and error
Example: We fixed the bug through trial and error.
Morphology: noun phrase (noun)
Self-practice: Say how you learned a tool through trial and error.

  setback

Meaning: a problem or delay that makes progress harder
Synonyms: obstacle, delay
Chunk/Idiom: flag a setback
Example: A small setback delayed the rollout.
Morphology: noun (noun)
Self-practice: Describe a setback you handled at work.

  stakeholder

Meaning: a person or group affected by a project’s outcome
Synonyms: client, decision-maker
Chunk/Idiom: a stakeholder flagged
Example: The stakeholder asked two follow-up questions.
Morphology: noun (noun)
Self-practice: Name two stakeholders in your projects.

  deadline

Meaning: the latest time by which something must be finished
Synonyms: due date, cut-off
Chunk/Idiom: miss a deadline
Example: We missed the deadline by two hours.
Morphology: noun (noun)
Self-practice: Explain how you protect a deadline.

  workaround

Meaning: a temporary solution used when the ideal fix is not ready
Synonyms: temporary fix, stopgap
Chunk/Idiom: document a workaround
Example: They shared a workaround in the channel.
Morphology: noun (noun)
Self-practice: Give a workaround you would use in a meeting.

  debrief

Meaning: a short meeting to review what happened and agree on next steps
Synonyms: review, follow-up
Chunk/Idiom: a quick debrief
Example: Let’s do a quick debrief after the call.
Morphology: noun/verb (noun, verb)
Self-practice: Invite someone to a debrief in one sentence.

☁️ Examples (+ audio)

🔊 Play We have fixed the issue, but we still need to monitor the rollout.

🔊 Play While we were testing, the environment crashed and everyone paused the demo.

🔊 Play If we had more time, we would run an extra stress test before shipping.

🔊 Play We should prioritise the critical tasks so we can meet the deadline.

✏️ Exercises

Grammar

Vocabulary & Comprehension

✅ Guided practice

Mini-dialogue:

A: We had a setback during testing, but we’ve documented a workaround.
B: Thanks. If we had more time, we would test more, but we have to ship.
A: Should we schedule a quick debrief to reset expectations?

Why this matters:

Clear debriefs prevent blame and keep stakeholders aligned. A written summary protects decisions and reduces back-and-forth. Buffers help teams handle setbacks without panic.

Verb & Adjective Pack:

prioritise — We should prioritise critical tasks.
ship — We have to ship before Friday.
align — A debrief helps us align quickly.

Try & compare: