"Sometimes, I do get too caught up with goals and results that I forget to put myself in the shoes of the project sponsor. The good news about this situation is that they're dissatisfied with the initial outcome, which means I still have a chance to deliver better results in the next few milestones. My first step will be to analyze the cause of the dissatisfaction, and what factors led to it. In my experience, it could be that I misinterpreted their instructions, or I didn't properly manage their expectations. Sometimes, it could be a breakdown in communication. Other times, it's just a matter of a personality clash. After I've narrowed the cause down, I will ask them definitively what about this particular deliverable does not meet their expectations, and assure them that I care about their approval. If their feedback is overly subjective, then I will try my best to tie it back to the project goals that we've identified for the project to bring objectivity back into focus. From there, I should be able to negotiate with the sponsor without sacrificing the timeline or our quality of work."
