By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, Lt. Col. (ret)
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All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.
~Winston Churchill
Mistakes, we all make them. I have made them, so have you and so has everybody else. Paul, the barista at Starbucks, makes an offensive tasting non-fat chai latte, dumps it down the drain, starts over and voila, problem solved. Laurel, a candidate for congress, makes an offensive comment about immigrants, the media takes over and voila, her campaign spirals down the drain and drowns. Minor mistake are no big deal, easily corrected, but major mistakes have launched world wars. Most mistakes fall between the two extremes. Leaders at all levels are faced with making daily decisions based on the available information as well as their personal bias related to the issue. When the choice is spot on, high fives ensue, and the team celebrates success. But if the option misses the mark, damage will result and damage control by the leader must begin.
Making an error in judgment doesn’t have to be a career breaker as evidenced by the ability of high profile people to recover from bad decisions. The Ford Motor company launched a new line of cars and quickly the Edsel became the biggest flop in automotive history. Later, Ford went on to launch the highly successful Mustang. In 2012, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings perceived the trend for an increased demand for access to streaming videos and launched a plan to split the company into DVD and streaming divisions, each requiring membership and separate fees. The public quickly rejected the new structure, balked at joining and caused the CEO to walk back the decision and remain with a single membership to include both DVD and streaming access to entertainment.
Although your goofs and gaffes may not get worldwide media attention, they can affect those around you both at work and at home, and as with high-profile leaders, if you can learn from your mistakes, you can recover.
Own it
Looking good to your team and the chain of command is important and making a mistake can undermine your credibility as a leader; therefore, it is natural for you want the blame to fall elsewhere. Despite your desire to be blameless, others, review exactly what was said and done so they know who made the error, and if it’s your lapse, own it. Denying your responsibility will further erode the respect of those familiar with the situation. Put yourself back on the path to success by candidly recognizing your mistake and accepting responsibility. As most politicians have discovered, projecting an attitude of, “I did it but it really wasn’t my fault,” does not garner respect or support from those around you. “I made a mistake and it was my fault,” is a much better starting point when trying to recover from a bad decision.
Apologize
After owning it, the next step on the road to correcting the error is a sincere apology to those affected by your decision. Choose your words wisely and focus on apologizing for your action rather than the way others reacted to the blunder. Admit what was done was wrong and acknowledge the unintended consequences of the action, including any negative effect it had on the team. People who apologize because others were offended instead of admitting personal fault, aren’t really accepting blame and will quickly lose both respect and support from those affected.
Correct the damage
Very few decisions are absolute and final. In spite of the damage that has been done, with time, patience, and a good plan most damage can be repaired. There are times when we kick ourselves and wish for a do-over because, in retrospect, a better decision was obvious. In cases where the better decision was clear, walk it back, repair the damage and proceed with the correct choice. In other cases where the answer is less obvious, involve the team in a group-think process to produce a better solution than your original choice. If penalties are required, pay them and then move on/forward.
Learn from the experience
The harm caused by a bad decision creates an opportunity for personal growth that will position you as an expert who can help others who face similar challenges. Damage control looks back on a situation and tries to fix something that has already taken place. Instead, seek a type II solution that not only addresses your problem but also keeps others from making the same error. Think of preemptive measures to update or change the current system and prevent a recurrence. Again, involve the team in an open discussion, “What did we learn?” and, “How can we prevent this from happening again?” Involving others in producing a permanent solution shows good faith in your desire to correct your judgment error and to learn from it.
Rebuild trust
Trust is foundational to a positive working relationship with your team. You take the first step in re-building a trusting relationship by owning, apologizing and correcting the error. The final, and by far the hardest part, is convincing your team or institution that you’re sincere and solid, all is well.
- DON’T compound the problem by making more mistakes.
- DON’T revisit the circumstances or the behavior that caused the mistake except as a reminder of what not to do or say.
- DON’T dwell on guilt and don’t allow yourself to feel shame or to be shamed. Get over it.
- DO use honesty and transparency when correcting the problem.
- DO encourage others to participate when selecting a new course of action.
Summary
Our world is composed of over seven billion people, each with independent thoughts and goals. What may seem logical or obvious to you and support your personal point of view may be perceived very differently by others. Leaders, followers and people in general all make mistakes in virtually every aspect of daily life and a few of those seven billion may occasionally take offense. When it happens, and it will, face it head-on, focus on immediate resolution and continue a lifelong commitment to building trust. And in your moments of reflection, always remember: Your blooper is your problem; others’ reaction to it is theirs.
Thomas Davis is a noted leader, educator, speaker and clinical anesthetist.