I talked to a founder friend who’s been working on a project for over a year. Part of the project’s economic viability centers on reimbursement from a project sponsor organization. My friend has been keeping the project sponsor up to date and is in regular communication with them. The project is now in its final phase and should finalize before year-end. The last part is to be reimbursed and close everything out.

My friend just learned of staffing changes at the sponsor organization. The organization isn’t sure if it’s going to reimburse him (and others) as agreed because of lack of protocol adherence by the dismissed staffer. The staff change is out of his control, but it’s materially affecting him and the cash flow of his business. My friend is in a tough spot. He spent six figures of capital out of his company coffers (a significant amount for a company of its size) in anticipation of being reimbursed by a certain date. That won’t happen now, and the reimbursement might not ever come through.

When I talked to my friend, he was taking it in stride. He realizes the precarious situation he’s in and is actively trying to figure out how to resolve it. I noticed that he’s not letting the situation paralyze him—he’s taking whatever action he can in hopes of resolving it. My gut tells me that his action-focused approach will help him find an acceptable resolution to this sticky situation.

Part of being a founder is dealing with the unexpected. The key is to continue taking action to move toward the desired outcome, whatever curveballs come your way.