Admit when you are wrong

💌 244 words ⌛ 1 minute

You need to admit when you are wrong. When you made a mistake don’t try to hide it and don’t try to talk yourself out of it. Instead talk about your mistake openly, what you learned from it and how you will avoid it in the future.

Why it matters: People look up to you, if you are aware of it or not. You are a role model and people take your behavior as an example for theirs. When you are able to freely admit your mistake, you create a positive error culture.

Dig deeper:

• Admitting mistakes or shortcomings shows vulnerability. But if you do it, as a manager, it shows others they can do it, too.

• Whenever you make a mistake share what you have done wrong, and what you will do in the future to prevent it. This inspires others to do the same and creates a culture of continous improvement.

• Solving issues together - without finger pointing - increases the bond of your team.

• For bigger issues start post mortems. It's not about figuring out who's fault it is, but how to prevent errors in the future. You can find templates for post mortems online.

• Hiding mistakes creates a weak foundation - for you and everyone around you. Decisions will be made on false assumptions, which leads to even more trouble.

How do you deal with mistakes of yourself and in your organization? Let's connect on Twitter or LinkedIn.

— Daniel