The most freeing behavior I have learned is to quickly and sincerely say, "I goofed"; "I'm wrong"; or "I may be wrong." It's all about letting go of the need to be right, being totally open to possibilities, and focusing on productivity instead of ownership when mistakes occur. But to embrace this type of freedom, you must have a culture that doesn't overreact to mistakes.

Recently I was involved with a situation where someone clearly made a mistake causing others undo pressure, anxiety and disappointment. Instead of the individuals involved with the error quickly acknowledging the pain and apologizing for the inconvenience, they proceeded to point fingers at one another. They spent so much time trying to place blame that they completely missed an opportunity to recover from the error. Instead of finger-pointing, they should have been apologizing and focusing on fixing the problem as quickly as possible, followed by figuring out how it could be avoided in the future.

My guess is that the culture of that department is such that people aren't allowed to make mistakes without serious consequences. Because of that, they have not been coached about handling mistakes with the least amount of damage. And, they are being held prisoner by the need to be right.

• First and foremost recognize that mistakes will happen. It's how you handle the mistakes that matter. For instance, do you use mistakes as learning opportunities?
• Encourage people to share mistakes and lessons learned. If you don't, you can be sure that they will hide problems from you.
• Set the example by quickly owning up to your mistakes. Share your missteps and what you have learned from them. Don't forget to quickly work on solutions and offer appropriate apologies.
• Always work on the problem at hand first and preventative solutions second. Consider input from all those concerned.
• Recognize the difference between mistakes and incompetency. Be sure your people are qualified and properly trained for the work they are expected to do.

Are you meeting the needs of your team members? Want help identifying what is important to each individual, as well as your overall team? Click this link to check out the Work Expectations Profile or call Donna to learn more.