We know that meeting our client's deadlines is critical, and doing what we said we'd do when we said we'd do it is a top priority for us--we'll do whatever it takes. But even with every effort we can muster, we may find ourselves up against a deadline that's near impossible. Take this actual email string between an engineer and a client, for example:
Client: "When will you be done with the project?"
Engineer: "I worked on it all night and emailed it to you early this morning."
Client: "Well, is there anything you can do to get it to me sooner?"
