We all know of people adept at navigating office politics by going with the flow.
Isn’t there something to be said for ‘owning up to your mistakes’?
Why is it that some of us think of recognizing failures as a weakness rather than a way to learn and improve our ‘game’?
In some situations you can even see the bizarre situation where individuals switch the blame to others and drive them out or get them fired in their version of the Stalinist purge.
I remember attending post show sessions at a theater run by friends.
They reviewed each night performance, its strengths and shortcomings.
There was no finger pointing or personal attacks just a way to smooth out the raw edges.
It was refreshing and best of all very productive.
In ‘Very Simple Secrets of Happiness’, Dr Bernie Siegel offers his own recipes on How to Own Up.
“In the article, Dr. Siegel outlines 4 steps that can bring about true happiness:
- Take responsibility for your mistakes
- Stay in charge of your thoughts and feelings
- Have faith that you can overcome obstacles
- Deal constructively with criticism
He also offers tips on how to accomplish each of these 4 steps ranging from “Forgive yourself first” to “Judge each problem as an opportunity to grow” to “Be open to redirection.”...end of quote”
That’s it for Monday Work Etiquette #6
(*Illustration ‘Theatre du Chene Noir’ in Avignon by Veronique Pagnier)
Previous Monday Work Etiquette: Don’t Loose Your Marbles At Work
Related: Jerks at Work…How not to become one and How to survive them…By Bob Sutton