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Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about a short-deadline bid where the client answered our questions the next day and one of the teams then withdrew, leaving the rest of us to decide whether to submit or drop the bid. I have rewritten it into advice on bid or no-bid decisions.

I had two bids. One was nearly done, since the delivery expert had completed the work. The other had a very short turnaround, and the client had answered our questions the day after we sent them. After a long weekend, the account team called an early meeting on open items, and one team announced it was withdrawing because the implementation timeline and the response date were both too tight. The other teams would now have to build a custom solution, and the question was open: submit or drop? My team said we would support the bid if we got the information we needed and the other teams delivered on time. The team framing the solution had to make the call.

When should a bid be dropped?

• You cannot meet the client's timeline credibly.
• A key capability is missing and no partner can fill it.
• The price needed to win would lose money.
• The client relationship or terms carry more risk than the deal is worth.

Who should make the decision?

The account owner, with input from the teams that would deliver. A clear decision-maker prevents weeks of work on a bid nobody believes in.

What does one team withdrawing mean?

It is a warning sign, not a verdict. Ask why, and whether the reason affects everyone. If the gap can be filled another way, the bid may still be sound.

How should a supporting team state its position?

As we did: conditionally and in writing. "We will support if we receive X by Y date" makes your commitment clear and puts the decision where it belongs.

Is dropping a bid a failure?

No. A well-reasoned no-bid saves effort and protects the company's reputation with the client. Many firms track their no-bid decisions as carefully as their wins.

Keep reading

• Delivering the Out-of-the-Box Slides Onsite Wants
• Quality-Checking an RFP Response at Short Notice
• Writing a Client Questionnaire at the Start of an RFP

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about rushing my work to avoid a weekend, only to receive 8:30am calls for Saturday and Sunday where I spoke for a few minutes, followed by three hours of changes. I have rewritten it into advice on making weekend bid calls efficient.

The account team had asked for weekend support, so I finished my work faster than usual, hoping to avoid it. On Friday evening I sent the updated deck to the delivery expert for review and received invitations for calls at 8:30am on both Saturday and Sunday. I dislike weekend work, and early calls even more, but I had no choice. On Saturday I spoke for a few minutes and the call ended with the account team saying they would contact me if needed. An hour later the delivery expert called, and I spent three hours making the changes.

Why hold early weekend calls?

To align teams across time zones, and to leave the rest of the day for work. The trouble is that most people on the call have only a small part to play.

How can weekend calls be made shorter?

• Share the agenda the night before: with times for each team.
• Invite only people with open items: others can get a written summary.
• Decide, do not discuss: save long discussions for working days.
• Agree the next check-in: so people are not waiting by the phone.

How do you handle change requests over a weekend?

Ask for all comments in one list, agree a time to return the changes, and send the revised deck with a short note of what changed. Batching saves hours.

Should you get time off for weekend work?

Many companies allow a compensatory day for approved weekend work. Record the hours and ask for it promptly; it is easier to approve while the bid is fresh in everyone's mind.

What would I tell my 2018 self?

Finishing early does not cancel a weekend request. Agreeing the weekend plan on Friday does.

Keep reading

• Returning From Leave While Working From Home
• Picking Up a Half-Finished Deck From a Colleague
• Delivering the Out-of-the-Box Slides Onsite Wants

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I recalled the second day of the 2015 Chennai floods, when I woke with no mobile signal, saw knee-deep water outside and people leaving, and only began to worry when the heavy rain returned. I have rewritten it into advice on deciding when to leave home in a flood.

After a disturbed night I woke to find no mobile signal. I assumed my phone was at fault and kept trying, draining the battery. I went for a short walk. The rain had paused, the water outside the apartment was a little over knee-deep, and some people were leaving for their home towns. I wondered why they were panicking and expected things to be normal by evening. My maid came, cooked rice, cleaned up and went home. A few hours later the rain returned at full strength, and only then did I start to worry about getting out.

Why do people underestimate floods?

A pause in the rain feels like the end. In fact, water can keep rising for hours or days as reservoirs release water and drains back up. In 2015, water levels in parts of Chennai rose sharply after reservoir releases, well after the heaviest rain.

When should you leave?

• When authorities advise it: follow official instructions first.
• When water is rising and the route is still safe: leaving early is far safer than leaving late.
• When you live on a low floor: or have no way to store food and water above flood level.

When is it safer to stay?

When the route out is already flooded, fast-flowing or dark. Moving water just a little over knee height can knock people over and can carry vehicles. Staying on an upper floor with supplies is often the safer choice.

What should you do about a phone with no signal?

Stop searching for signal; it drains the battery. Switch to airplane mode and check once an hour from a window or higher floor.

What would I do differently?

Take the people leaving as a signal, not as panic, and decide early.

Keep reading

• Returning From Leave While Working From Home
• An Out-of-Office Message That Protects Your Leave
• Do You Still Need a Computer to Fix an iPhone?

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about agonising over whether to tell a manager on my team my hike percentage, knowing company policy forbade sharing it, and whether to give the real figure, a lower one or none at all. I have rewritten it into advice on keeping pay confidential under pressure.

My recalculation showed the hike was slightly higher than I had expected. The hard part was that a manager on my team had asked me for the percentage. Company policy said hike numbers should not be shared with colleagues, but I felt that refusing would be noted and could count against me later. I went back and forth: share the real number, a lower one, a higher one, or avoid the conversation. My instinct was not to share at all, and I did the opposite.

What does a pay confidentiality policy mean for you?

It gives you a reason to decline. "Company policy says we should not share numbers" is a complete answer, and a manager who asks should know the policy better than anyone.

Why is sharing a false number a bad idea?

Because it can come back to you. Numbers spread, and a figure that later proves wrong damages trust more than a polite refusal would have. If you do not want to share, say so rather than inventing a figure.

How do you refuse without creating friction?

• Keep it light: "I would rather keep that between me and HR."
• Refer to the policy: it removes the personal element.
• Offer something general: "The process seemed fair to me" or "I am still reading the letter."
• Change the subject: to work, which is what you share with this person.

What if someone senior insists?

Ask why they need it. If the request continues, mention it to your own manager or HR. Pressure to break a written policy is itself something the organisation should know about.

What did I learn?

Trust your first instinct on confidential matters. My later posts describe what happened when I did not.

Keep reading

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• Peacock And Apple TV Price Hikes: When Your Bill Changes
• India's Dark Pattern Crackdown: What Changed for Shoppers

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about starting another bid with the same difficult delivery expert, after my trusted expert stepped away, and being given a helper who took everything easy. I have rewritten it into advice on working with a disengaged teammate.

After finishing a hard bid with the most difficult person I had worked with, I rested for a few days. Then a new bid arrived. I hoped my usual expert would be on it, but he had decided to focus on his own deliverables. I had to work with the difficult expert again. When I asked for help, I was given a team member who seemed unconcerned about the work and took every bid lightly. I was now working with two extremes: a rude, ego-driven expert and a colleague who barely engaged.

Why are some teammates disengaged?

Low interest in presales work, too many parallel tasks, unclear expectations, or simply a different view of what the job requires. Often nobody has told them what exactly is expected on this bid.

How do you get useful work from a disengaged teammate?

• Give a precise task: "Draft the transition plan slide by Wednesday noon" rather than "help with the deck".
• Explain why it matters: what the client will judge it on.
• Check in early: a quick look at a draft halfway saves rework.
• Acknowledge good work: in front of their manager when it happens.

When should you raise it with your manager?

If deadlines slip because tasks are not done. Stick to facts: what was asked, when, and what arrived. Managers can then decide whether to replace or coach the person.

How do you avoid doing everything yourself?

Doing it all feels faster in the moment but leaves you overloaded on every bid. Delegating clear pieces, even imperfectly, builds a team you can rely on later.

Can a difficult pairing still produce a good bid?

Yes, with clear roles and tight tracking. It is harder work, but the structure carries the bid when goodwill does not.

Keep reading

• Picking Up a Half-Finished Deck From a Colleague
• Calibrating Your Manager's Estimates for New Work
• Returning From Leave While Working From Home

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about a Friday when the subject expert said the work was minimal and she would send inputs later, then postponed to Monday, while I padded a deck to look busy. I have rewritten it into advice on what to do while you wait for inputs.

After the morning call, I knew my deliverable was a deck built from the subject expert's inputs, so my plans for a quiet few days were gone. I called her about the information and next steps. She said the work was minimal and she would come back later in the day. Relieved, I returned to browsing, but sensing something was off, I opened a deck and added some slides mainly so my manager would see I was working. At the end of the day, she said her other commitments meant she could only send details by Monday. I left for home on Friday evening.

What can you do before inputs arrive?

• Build the structure: section headings, the client's requirements mapped to slides.
• Draft what you know: company overview, relevant case studies, governance.
• Write your questions: so the expert's call is short and specific.
• Mark gaps clearly: placeholders that show exactly what is missing.

Is it worth working on a deck just to look busy?

Not for appearance's sake. The same hour spent building a real structure would have made Monday easier. Work that exists only to be seen tends to be thrown away.

How do you handle an expert who postpones?

Agree a specific time on Monday, confirm it by mail, and tell the account team the new date for the draft. That keeps expectations realistic on all sides.

Should you tell your manager about the delay?

Yes, briefly. It protects you if the deadline tightens and helps your manager judge whether the expert needs support.

What is the lesson?

"Minimal work, I will send it later" is a signal to prepare, not to relax. A few hours of honest preparation on Friday would have turned Monday from a scramble into a review.

Keep reading

• Returning From Leave While Working From Home
• Delivering the Out-of-the-Box Slides Onsite Wants
• Picking Up a Half-Finished Deck From a Colleague