Mistakes

Have you ever done anything so dumb that you just wanted to crawl into a cave and stay there?

If you trip and fall and there’s no one there to see you, that’s one thing. If you spill coffee down the front of your shirt in front of your family, that’s another. The “oops” I lived with for years was known by some friends and family but mainly by my co-workers. Making a professional faux-pas not only hurts your pride, it diminishes your credibility. At least it sure feels like it.

Many years ago, I was working on upgrading the computer of our users. I’d done this particular procedure hundreds of times. Set up and install the programs on the new computer, transfer the user’s files, etc. Well, this particular time, I missed a step and ended up deleting the user’s files. All of them. Completely. And there was no recent backup. I felt myself go pale. I heard my heart stop. This wasn’t real. This didn’t just happen. (At this point in time, the only recovery software available was ridiculously expensive and/or regulated by the government. Outside help was not an option.) I wanted to tender my resignation and slink out the back door.

I left my ego on the floor and told the user what I had done – apologizing profusely, of course. He was distraught, but handled it well. It wasn’t long before most of the company knew what I had done. And it wasn’t long before that became a running joke every time I had to work on someone’s computer. “You’re not going to delete all my files, are you?” Giggle, giggle, giggle. “Save your files! Susan’s working on our computers today!” I laughed along and always assured them that I would never make that mistake twice!

I survived that stigma because I never let anything like that happen again, and also because regardless of what mistakes a person makes, they themselves are still decent, reliable, credible people provided they learn from it. Oh, and it also helps that this was so long ago that 90% of the people in the company are different now.

Take it easy on yourself. We've all been there.