To Err is Human …

Irish novelist James Joyce once wrote, “A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.” Some days I feel I’ve spent a little too much time peering through those portals. Some of you may feel the same.

As we begin a new week, one thing is for certain. Regardless of our best efforts, some mistakes are going to be made. As much as we strive to be perfect, we will trip over something. For some, the mistakes will be small and incidental. For others, the mistakes will be significant. Regardless of the size, our actions (or reactions) just may determine the impact of the mistake.

There are four things I try to do anytime I find myself having to deal with a mistake I’ve made. One, take responsibility. We live in a blame-oriented society. Surprise people by taking full responsibility if it’s your mistake. Two, inform anyone who needs to know. Hiding the mistake normally has much stronger consequences than admitting it up front. Three, make it right. No one expects us to be perfect. They just want us to make it right when we screw something up. And four, learn the lesson. The key is to not make the same mistake again.

Mistakes are inevitable. It means you’re doing something. The mistake does not define you. The leadership you show in handling it will.