What could occur to me? Have you had any times when you feel that regardless of how prepared your plan is, things always happen to you? They will. It is a reality for all of us.
The majority of the time, we look at and read about the good and prosperous things that entrepreneurs have experienced. This is fine and great but how do I learn to deal with situations when everything goes wrong? Because it happens and it happens to every and each and.
I have an experience that prompted me to write this article. The reason is that many of my clients as well as people who know me, look at me and say, ‘Well it’s not difficult for you. In many situations and cases, I can say that it’s easy for me as I’ve done my research, learned, and applied, and are aware of what I am doing. However, there are instances where things get out of hand – they go wrong!
What then? Here are some steps I use every time I need to overcome the “horrors” of errors. So, pay attention and make sure you have this information handy as there will be a moment where you’ll require this knowledge.
TIP #1: ‘FESS UP AND FIX IT.
I learned this lesson early from one of my most remarkable teachers, Lou Tice. In a training session, Lou Tice showed us a film of Blue Angels as they prepped for an air demonstration. In the videotape (which you can, of course, you can view via YouTube) the leader at the time spoke about exactly this issue. There will be mistakes. (well, they happen when people act on something!). It’s essential, in that case, that you admit to the problem up and rectify it. This is exactly what I do. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND OWNERSHIP. Nobody has ever died due to accepting responsibility for an error.
TIP #2: BE SURE YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY A GREAT TEAM
In the case in the Blue Angels training video, it was noted that errors can affect all members of the team. You must be with a great team of players. In the case I was in recently, my amazing boss, Denise, stepped in and took care of the guest expert phone call. She received my guest with a smile and made her feel very special and then took over. Phew. That’s the kind of team member you’d like to be. HIRE WELL, LET GO AND LET PEOPLE STEP UP TO THE PLATE.
TIP #3: FIND THE HUMOR IN IT AND MOVE ON
This is among the most costly mistakes that people make – they get caught up in the present. In most instances, the work we perform isn’t life or death. There are always mistakes to be made including me. Was this a perfect example? NO. Was I embarrassed? YES. Did anyone ever die? NO.
Then move on. I confessed to the error (didn’t acknowledge that I had shifted into another time zone prior to the incident… Hey, this is what it is!). I thanked and congratulated my teammate who came in and took over. We then laughed about the situation. And, I even sent a text message to the guest’s expert as well as one of my teammates earlier in the morning to announce the upcoming call. This is hilarious!
RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL HUMAN! GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON.
One reason why many entrepreneurs fail and quit in their business is that they are always striving for perfection. In reality, there’s nothing like it. It’s all about the process. Learn and grow. One aspect I’d recommend is sharing your errors and lessons learned with other people. It is a great way to instill, motivate and help people develop additional skills to improve their performance and growth.
MAKE MISTAKES AND BECOME A BETTER ENTREPRENEUR!
Pat Mussieux is fast becoming an extremely sought-after Canadian guide for female entrepreneurs, taking her own venture from nothing to a six-figure home-based enterprise in just four years. A large part of her success is due to her experience in the fields of marketing, mindset, and finances!
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