Mistake Makin’ Time (and how to grow from it)

Deep inside we all know that we are perfect and never, ever make any mistakes. We are never, ever sarcastic either. I digress . . .

Sooner or later, no matter how good you are (or think you are) and regardless of how well you think you can lead or follow, you will make a mistake. It might be a small one or it might be an “oh sweet lord, I actually just did that and everyone saw it” type of mistake. Regardless of how big or small that mistake (or mistakes) might be, you have a golden opportunity to learn and grow from it. However, your first course of action is to correct it/acknowledge it/or in some cases, ignore it. Regardless of how you might need to respond, afterwards you have a chance to reflect on what you did or didn’t do.  It is during these moments that you can evaluate where and how you messed up and as mentioned earlier, grow from the ordeal. Ask yourself these questions: What did I do (or didn’t do)? How could it have been avoided (if possible)? What can I do in the future if it comes up again? Can I respond better next time?

Asking yourself these questions focuses your mind on the problem but then moves onto the solution and helps to formulate a contingency plan should things go wrong again. While relatively simple in theory, the seriousness of the issue will cause the process difficulty to vary greatly, especially when it comes to managing people. Introspection is the key and the more comfortable you can get with looking inside yourself and working out solutions, the easier problem solving/correction becomes.


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