FAIT ACCOMPLI

Definition : Fait Accompli is an event that has already happened and it is

considerate irreversible. In other words, a fact that has taken place already.

Meaning : Fait accompli is a French that literally means “an accomplished fact”.

Explanation : It is used to describe a situation where certain decision has been

taken or certain incident had took place and the affected parties were not aware
of it. In the moment they are informed about it there’s a fait accompli situation
since there is nothing they can do to change what has happened and therefore,
the term is mostly employed when the situation mentioned is irreversible.

Illustration: In business, there are many instances where fait accompli situations
can take place. For example, business and financial reports are in itself fait
accompli statements, since everything that is being presented already took place
and the company can do something to change future results but there is nothing
they can do to change past results. Also, lawsuits are fait accompli scenarios,
where the person being sued is notified about the existence of the legal procedure
after the claim has been filed, which means there is nothing to do about the fact
that derived in the lawsuit, therefore the term can be properly employed.

Example : The National Sales Manager of a company called Sweet Beverages Co.
is currently reviewing the sales performance of the different states, cities and
districts that the company serves. According to the reports sent by the accounting
department, it seems sales have decreased in the last three months. Apparently,
the 3 states that represent 75% of the company’s sales have performed poorly
due to an apparent delay in product deliveries.
Clients have been complaining for weeks about it and the regional manager didn’t
updated the National Sales Manager adequately about the situation. Since the
scenario is fait accompli there’s nothing the Manager can do to remedy this awful
past results, but now he has to address the situation properly to make sure it
doesn’t happen again.