| Mistakes: an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc. (http://dictionary.reference.com)
To err is human. People make mistakes right from the day they were born. The numerous attempts to latch on for breastfeeding, getting burnt playing with fire, falling hard from bicycles or getting caught stealing. It is only through mistakes that we learn how to adapt and survive in our environment. To grow and do well in your career and business, you must be willing to challenge yourself, getting out of your comfort zone and start making mistakes. After a mistake is made, acknowledge it, analyze why it happened and determine how you should prevent it from happening again. Acknowledging that you are wrong takes a lot of courage and it this behavior that reflects professionalism and maturity of an individual thus earning you respects. So, remember to put your ego on the back seat.
Have you ever looked at a problem and try to solve it with a different untested approach? In order to do so, you need to have the courage to do things differently even though there is a certain level of risk involved. To take risks means that there will be a tendency for failure. Are you prepared to fail and learn from that lesson? Take heart that nobody has the golden answer to your problems. Who knows better than yourself who is right in the midst of the problem? The cost of one mistake made is equivalent to the opportunity cost of the business. The more expensive is the mistake, the more likely you will grow in your field. No amount of training can get you up to speed than one expensive mistake.
If you do not take the first step to innovate and do things differently, you will lose out to your peers in the market because you are applying outdated knowledge to the new economy. You need to be equipped with the latest skill sets (pertaining to your professional career) through reading, attending seminars/classes, participate in online forums and talking to peers in the industry. You have to take the initiative (instead of waiting for your company to send you for courses) to find out what are the latest solutions in the market (be in methodology, tools or processes). If you are worried that you will lose your job because of the mistakes you made, here is the good news – Most professional managers would want their people to make mistakes because that is the best way to learn. Furthermore, doing it safe can probably increase your job security in the short term but you are destroying your long term career by making yourself obsolete in the talent market. Please understand that if everyone is so conservative and no one wants to “rock the boat”, the organization will come to a standstill (relative to competitors).
Don’t be worried about applying something new to your work if you are confident that it will add value to the organization you work for. The courage to make mistakes will help you to face the unknowns. You will be more prepared to make tough decisions without fear of failure. Just make sure you have done your due diligence and make an informed decision. I am not encouraging you to make careless mistakes! The uninitiated would usually wait for further instructions before proceeding but the delay could result in potential business/life losses. You must take the initiative and make a call on the options that are presented to you without fear of “what if I am wrong”. So what if you are wrong? At least you have tried where others would give up. When a mistake has been made, do not brood over it and carry them as baggage to your next professional engagement (be it a new projects or employer). Move on with the experience gained and don’t let past mistakes prevent you from growing. However, do not make the same mistake twice (we have to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes remember?).
Go ahead and make a difference in your life and career. Success is built on past failures. Learn from your mistakes and grow.
I have a boss that is an absolute b….. !!! there is no room for mistakes. If you want to try something new – she just shoots you down. You are too scared to admit the mistake as we all know she will freak out – how do you get past her ????