Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. - Oscar Wilde
Because I am a Graduate Assistant, this blog is sometimes as much about learning to navigate a position with greater responsibility as it is about Student Affairs. Today's post is no exception. In the past few months, I have made some mistakes. Gasp! It is not quite surprising - with more responsibility comes more mistake-making potential. Some of these have been larger than others, and a variety of people have been affected by each, from students to employees to my supervisor.
What each of these mistakes have had in common, though, are two moments. One is a moment of realization of the mistake. The "Whoops" or "Uh-oh" moment, if you will. Depending on the scope, a feeling of panic may accompany this realization - a split-second of fight-or-flight in which the short distance from my office to the airport seems short enough to sprint. Luckily, that feeling subsides, and I have always made it through to acceptance that I messed up.
The second moment is more important and the central takeaway from this post. This is where you begin working towards a solution. In some cases, you may be able to do this on your own. Being able to solve a problem, or at least plan a solution to implement, is an important skill and shows a heightened sense of responsibility. If you are able to do this, you will going to your supervisor with more than "I made a mistake," you will be walking into hir office with "I made a mistake, and here's what I plan to do to fix it." This brings up another simple, yet important point - you need to tell others about the mistake! Consider who needs to know and who should know (i.e., your supervisor will almost always be in at least the latter group, even if it only affects your direct reports).
Envisioning a solution and telling stakeholders about a mistake may seem over-simplistic. But coming from undergraduate, student staff positions, where most mistakes are smaller in scope and had easy solutions with few consequences, making your first mistakes in an entry-level position can be scary, if not paralyzing (helps combat the "flight"). Being the only "professional" staff member in this building, though, has been a great experience for many reasons, not the least of which is having the chance to solve the problems I create. Not that I advocate for making mistakes; I advocate instead for learning more from mistakes than how to avoid them in the future. Learn how to address them when they occur.
What are your thoughts on getting back up after realizing a mistake?
Quote Citation:
Wilde, O. (n.d.). Goodreads. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/799160-experience-is-simply-the-name-we-give-our-mistakes
Photo By Me - a couple of birds in the airport! Choose fight, not flight, at that realization step :)
Definitely true - decide who needs to know, who should know, and HOW you should tell them is key.
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