One Emotional Reaction You Get When You Talk About Your Mistakes

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find a new way to face difficult emotions, and accept the fact that the results of my efforts are not perfect, even after I study and practice and do my best.When I read books about people who give value to their mistakes, I admire them. It means that they can admit and accept them and proceed, persisting despite failure, making failure a sign that they are going in the right direction.I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.Michael JordanTherefore, when I was invited as a testimonial at a seminar on project management for executive assistants, I decided to describe a special project which turned out to be my biggest mistake.I had to organize a little event. The new CEO of the company I worked for wanted to give a short speech to introduce himself to all colleagues. It was an easy task for me: book the room, buy some food and drinks, send an email to invite all attendees. I thought I was lucky, starting my collaboration with an easy task. Yet I didn’t know that the group email was addressed also to other colleagues,

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who were temporarily unemployed. My colleague from the IT department mentioned something about them, but I didn’t listen to him since I was too focused on doing the right thing.The day of the speech there were so many people we couldn’t sit in the room I booked, we had to go to the yard. It was a cold rainy day in November. The colleagues who sat in the room ate all the food. The Q&A time lasted more than expected and the agenda had to be modified.Telling this story made all the difference to the attendees at the seminar, and to their relationship with me. They wrote me messages saying: I know how you feel, I have been through it before. They felt less lonely and more compassionate towards me. They learned that life continues even if you stumble. In the following days we organized calls, and shared new ways to fight negative self-talk, and we created human bonds. It is as if just by admitting my mistake, my job became more interesting, and I felt more admired. They were inspired and felt they can continue their learning process. They felt stronger and more in control of the situation. In turn, their reaction showed me that my mistakes are useful and helpful, and when a new one comes, I will survive or better, I will find a new group of colleagues.</article></body>

One Emotional Reaction You Get When You Talk About Your Mistakes

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Mahatma Gandhi

How do you react after you make a mistake? Have you ever learnt from your mistakes? Are you able to go back and try to amend them? Why most of us, including myself, don’t try to correct them? Maybe it’s because we are proud, or we are afraid of showing our weakness.

My experience shows that the opposite is true: when we admit our mistakes and try to change them or to reduce their consequences, we show humility and strength, and inspire other people.

Whenever I made a mistake at work, I felt horrible. I don’t remember the many right things I did, but my mistakes are still burning, and I can recall all the details. I am not sure if they became part of my learning process, but I am aware they helped me find a new way to face difficult emotions, and accept the fact that the results of my efforts are not perfect, even after I study and practice and do my best.

When I read books about people who give value to their mistakes, I admire them. It means that they can admit and accept them and proceed, persisting despite failure, making failure a sign that they are going in the right direction.

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Michael Jordan

Therefore, when I was invited as a testimonial at a seminar on project management for executive assistants, I decided to describe a special project which turned out to be my biggest mistake.

I had to organize a little event. The new CEO of the company I worked for wanted to give a short speech to introduce himself to all colleagues. It was an easy task for me: book the room, buy some food and drinks, send an email to invite all attendees. I thought I was lucky, starting my collaboration with an easy task. Yet I didn’t know that the group email was addressed also to other colleagues, who were temporarily unemployed. My colleague from the IT department mentioned something about them, but I didn’t listen to him since I was too focused on doing the right thing.

The day of the speech there were so many people we couldn’t sit in the room I booked, we had to go to the yard. It was a cold rainy day in November. The colleagues who sat in the room ate all the food. The Q&A time lasted more than expected and the agenda had to be modified.

Telling this story made all the difference to the attendees at the seminar, and to their relationship with me. They wrote me messages saying: I know how you feel, I have been through it before. They felt less lonely and more compassionate towards me. They learned that life continues even if you stumble. In the following days we organized calls, and shared new ways to fight negative self-talk, and we created human bonds. It is as if just by admitting my mistake, my job became more interesting, and I felt more admired. They were inspired and felt they can continue their learning process. They felt stronger and more in control of the situation. In turn, their reaction showed me that my mistakes are useful and helpful, and when a new one comes, I will survive or better, I will find a new group of colleagues.