I began to think about the mistake or two (OK three) that I have made in my career when I read this quote:
Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones. Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.
To be honest with you, the thought of my mistakes made me cringe again. Thankfully, I learned a long time ago that it’s important to learn from what we do, say, don’t do or don’t say. Slip-ups can bring moments of angst, but we can make them into opportunities to learn.
The focus of this post is not those severe mistakes that result in loss of life, property or money; but rather on leadership missteps that can lead to serious consequences if left unchecked. These three articles present perspective into management mistakes that can be avoided.
Even Smart Leaders Make These Mistakes
Based on decades of experience leading and writing about companies, they [Jack and Suzy Welch] highlighted six common leadership blunders all of which are backed by evidence. Read more…
Five things each and every manager should avoid
Five things each and every manager should avoid. Management is an ever-evolving discipline, and every manager must work constantly to improve his or her skills. One thing that all effective managers have in common is that they steer clear of the five sins of management. These are five things you will never see a good manager doing. Read more…
The Worst Advice Ever Heard About Employee Turnover
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.7 million individuals who quit their job in February, 2015. As much as you may not like to admit it, employee turnover is not always the result of a poor work ethic. Many times, poor management techniques are to blame. While it’s not always the fault of management, there are certain misconceptions some employers and managers have regarding turnover that lead to low employee retention rates. Read more…
One of the most dreadful workplace situations is to work for a manager who reacts in anger and retribution when a worker makes a mistake. I had the misfortune to work for one or two of these type of managers and I quickly learned to respond to my employees’ missteps by coaching and guidance. I always ask the guilty culprit for a solution to the situation at hand. And, I always carry the bad news of the blunder to my boss. Hopefully, when I disclose the situation, I have a well-thought out plan for minimizing the impact or a resolution.
As a leader, you, too, have the responsibility to learn from mistakes and teach your employees how to create stepping stones to success from their blunders.
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