PODCAST: How to Do Right When Things Go Wrong
Let Conscious Choice — Not Emotion — Drive Your Actions
When things go wrong, what do you focus on? Identifying who made the mistake or whose fault it was? Do you obsess about the weak link in the chain? Or do you use your finite energy to craft a solution?
I’m sure you can guess which I’m going to say is the best way to react. Yes; it can be difficult to override the mind’s reflexive response to finger point and lay blame. But that helps no one or nothing. In fact, it harms relationships, damages trust and creates a negative cycle that becomes contagious. No matter where you are in the hierarchy, you can take the lead on finding solutions.
This means consciously choosing not to finger-point or name names. Instead, devote your energy and attention to what happened and how best to fix it, for good. What process improvements, training, checks and balances are needed? Taking charge of making improvements is a great way to feel your own value and demonstrate it to others.