The problem wasn't the mistake. It was what you did next.

I remember very well when I started my career.

I had a boss who gave me an assignment.

You know how it goes…

a rookie wanting to make a good impression.

I worked hard, convinced I was exceeding expectations.

Well, guess what?

Not even close.

It was one of two things:

either the message wasn't clear…

or the person receiving it had her head in the clouds.

The goal wasn't met.

Up to that point, the problem had a fix.

It could be corrected quickly.

But the real problem came after.

A meeting was called to talk about what happened.

And there, in front of everyone, a finger was pointed at who had made the mistake.

An uncomfortable moment for everyone…

The problem isn't talking about mistakes in public.

The problem is how you do it.

People rarely remember exactly what you told them.

But they never forget how you made them feel.

Looking back…

If it had to be discussed as a group, I would have started like this:

“We had this situation.

The information presented wasn't what we needed.

What we're looking for is this.

For the next meetings, this is the expectation.”

Explain the lesson.

Align expectations.

Ask:

“What can we do better next time?”

Comments.

Ideas.

Solutions.

Fifteen minutes.

No more.

Then, yes.

Call the person involved into the office.

A direct conversation.

“Marbeel, the information wasn't presented the way I asked for it.

As we discussed in the meeting, my expectation for this is this.

Do you have any questions for the future?”

Five minutes.

Agree and move on.

Because correcting mistakes is part of the job.

But doing it well…

is part of leadership.

There's a book that explains this idea very well:

The One Minute Manager.

The idea is simple:

Correct quickly.

Clarify expectations.

And move on.

How would you like to be spoken to in a similar situation?

Marbeel