Owning a mistake fast keeps it small. Hiding it makes it collect interest.
REFLECTION
WHAT THIS MEANS
Errors have a cost that grows with time. Said out loud in the first hour, a mistake is usually a small inconvenience somebody can still fix. Left hidden, it keeps working: other decisions get built on top of it, people act on information that is wrong, and when it finally surfaces the problem includes the concealment as well as the original slip.
Tell the person who needs to know as soon as you notice, this week, even if it is embarrassing. Lead with the fact, then what you think should happen next. Most people respond to that far better than you are expecting.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Are you hiding a mistake while it quietly grows?
MORE IN MINDSET & IDENTITY
- If your self-worth is tied to productivity, it crashes on sick days. Build it on something a fever can’t take.
- Public speaking nerves are almost universal, and the audience usually sees a fraction of what you feel.
- Wanting more for your life isn’t arrogance. Looking down on people who want different things is.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.