Comments on: 4 lessons on learning from your mistakes http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:28:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tameca http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8968 Tameca Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:20:09 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-8968 I just streamed a commencement speech yesterday, delivered by J.K. Rowling at Harvard Univ. My favorite quote from her speech was, "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default." Thank you for writing this honest and helpful article, Pam. I will keep all of the above in mind as I am laughing and/or crying my way to success ;-) I just streamed a commencement speech yesterday, delivered by J.K. Rowling at Harvard Univ. My favorite quote from her speech was, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

Thank you for writing this honest and helpful article, Pam. I will keep all of the above in mind as I am laughing and/or crying my way to success ;-)

]]> By: Your all-or-nothing attitude will bring all stress and no progress | cuinlalaland http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-8946 Your all-or-nothing attitude will bring all stress and no progress | cuinlalaland Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:20:22 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-8946 [...] And for the bloggers among you, your screw-ups can lead to confessional blog posts, like 4 lessons on learning from your mistakes. [...] [...] And for the bloggers among you, your screw-ups can lead to confessional blog posts, like 4 lessons on learning from your mistakes. [...]

]]> By: School teacher http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1682 School teacher Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:18:50 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1682 Great post, Pam. I think everybody goes through some of situations, expressed in your article. My main advice for your life success - Do not loose your sense ob humor. You will see it really helps. http://www.dalloway-school.com Great post, Pam.
I think everybody goes through some of situations, expressed in your article.
My main advice for your life success – Do not loose your sense ob humor. You will see it really helps.

http://www.dalloway-school.com

]]> By: Dave http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1683 Dave Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:49:23 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1683 Hey that's OK Pam. I've had my own run-in with Alan Weiss. You can read about it here: http://businessbloggingpros.typepad.com/business_blogging_pros/2007/02/alan_weiss_does.html and here: http://businessbloggingpros.typepad.com/business_blogging_pros/2007/03/alan_weiss_part.html Ironically, Alan is now blogging too. Hey that’s OK Pam. I’ve had my own run-in with Alan Weiss. You can read about it here:

http://businessbloggingpros.typepad.com/business_blogging_pros/2007/02/alan_weiss_does.html

and here:

http://businessbloggingpros.typepad.com/business_blogging_pros/2007/03/alan_weiss_part.html

Ironically, Alan is now blogging too.

]]> By: Mike http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1684 Mike Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:39:46 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1684 Hi Pam, One further point on the 'nutrition' story - I did try to raise the subject with my boss afterwards. I asked him casually how things had gone in the interview, and he again said nutrition instead of attrition. But I chickened out - I couldn't bring myself to tell him. The interesting thing was, if it had come up in a normal conversation I would have told him and we could have had a good laugh about it. But I couldn't bring myself to tell him as, under the circumstances, he would surely realise how he had misused the term and been quite embarrassed. Mike Hi Pam,

One further point on the ‘nutrition’ story – I did try to raise the subject with my boss afterwards.
I asked him casually how things had gone in the interview, and he again said nutrition instead of attrition. But I chickened out – I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.

The interesting thing was, if it had come up in a normal conversation I would have told him and we could have had a good laugh about it.
But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him as, under the circumstances, he would surely realise how he had misused the term and been quite embarrassed.

Mike

]]> By: Rosalind Joffe, keep working girlfriend http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1685 Rosalind Joffe, keep working girlfriend Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:26:22 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1685 Yup. It happens to the "best" of us -- and it's even more difficult the more public the mistake. I wrote about this in an ezine and referred to a wonderful book by Aaron Lazar, former Dean of the UMass Medical School, "On Apology". In my post, I talked about how an apology, according to Lazar, has to do more than just say I'm sorry - it has to acknowledge that we really understand what we're apologizing for. It doesn't matter whether you've got a chronic illness and bad symptoms prevented you from making a deadline -- or you forgot to call your husband's mom for he birthday -- or you insulted someone in a public place. The apology only has meaning if you demonstrate that you understand what you did that was offensive. AND, you did. Thanks for sharing! Yup. It happens to the “best” of us — and it’s even more difficult the more public the mistake. I wrote about this in an ezine and referred to a wonderful book by Aaron Lazar, former Dean of the UMass Medical School, “On Apology”. In my post, I talked about how an apology, according to Lazar, has to do more than just say I’m sorry – it has to acknowledge that we really understand what we’re apologizing for. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a chronic illness and bad symptoms prevented you from making a deadline — or you forgot to call your husband’s mom for he birthday — or you insulted someone in a public place. The apology only has meaning if you demonstrate that you understand what you did that was offensive. AND, you did. Thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Harrison http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1686 Harrison Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:30:36 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1686 I agree that saying "sorry" is the first thing we must do after making any mistakes. For me, I just feel sad and sorry if I don't speak out the word "sorry". I agree that saying “sorry” is the first thing we must do after making any mistakes. For me, I just feel sad and sorry if I don’t speak out the word “sorry”.

]]> By: Matthew Cornell http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1687 Matthew Cornell Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:34:49 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1687 What an important topic, Pam. When venturing out on my own, I found the decisions I make are more "grown up" - bigger, riskier, more exciting, and (of course) *my own*. Taking the emotional baggage out of them (and the inevitable mistakes - sometimes called "learning opportunities" :-) is crucial. Otherwise we draw in and don't interact with the boldness we need to be successful outside the cubicle. What's worked very well for me is keeping two logs in my journal that track decisions [1] and lessons learned [2]. I've found that doing this takes a lot of the sting out of these events. Why? By realizing a mistake and acknowledging it right away, it depersonalizes it. It's a thing, it happened, and I can deal with it (as you point out - apologize, etc.) Importantly, there's a second piece that should also be tracked: decisions. Often the two are connected: Decided to X, learned lesson Y. Just an idea. [1] Some thoughts from tracking "lessons learned" for a year http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2006/12/some-thoughts-from-tracking-lessons.html [2] A key to continuous learning: Keep a decision log http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2007/04/key-to-continuous-learning-keep.html What an important topic, Pam. When venturing out on my own, I found the decisions I make are more “grown up” – bigger, riskier, more exciting, and (of course) *my own*. Taking the emotional baggage out of them (and the inevitable mistakes – sometimes called “learning opportunities” :-) is crucial. Otherwise we draw in and don’t interact with the boldness we need to be successful outside the cubicle.

What’s worked very well for me is keeping two logs in my journal that track decisions [1] and lessons learned [2]. I’ve found that doing this takes a lot of the sting out of these events. Why? By realizing a mistake and acknowledging it right away, it depersonalizes it. It’s a thing, it happened, and I can deal with it (as you point out – apologize, etc.) Importantly, there’s a second piece that should also be tracked: decisions. Often the two are connected: Decided to X, learned lesson Y.

Just an idea.

[1] Some thoughts from tracking “lessons learned” for a year
http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2006/12/some-thoughts-from-tracking-lessons.html

[2] A key to continuous learning: Keep a decision log
http://ideamatt.blogspot.com/2007/04/key-to-continuous-learning-keep.html

]]> By: Ahmed http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1688 Ahmed Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:19:50 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1688 This is a good lessons. The most part I like, is the great story one. I think I learned it and I will do it when i make a mistake :) Keep writing, and nice post. This is a good lessons. The most part I like, is the great story one. I think I learned it and I will do it when i make a mistake :)

Keep writing, and nice post.

]]> By: Amparo Fontanet http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/2007/11/30/4-lessons-on-learning-from-your-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-1689 Amparo Fontanet Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:14:53 +0000 http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/?p=167#comment-1689 Hello Pam, I loved reading your experience and I was thinking: "It's ok if you chose the wrong word, it was an innocent mistake. NO BIG DEAL." However, when I am the one making the mistake, I can't think as clearly and relaxed and I freak out. Your advice is great, it may take some practice...and in the mean time I find that humor may be a handy and powerful aid to dissipate the fear, even if you have to fake it, the habit grows in you. Great weekend! Ah! and as you say, apologizing for your mistakes right away and accepting them: crucial. Tons of respect come to you that way. Hello Pam, I loved reading your experience and I was thinking: “It’s ok if you chose the wrong word, it was an innocent mistake. NO BIG DEAL.” However, when I am the one making the mistake, I can’t think as clearly and relaxed and I freak out. Your advice is great, it may take some practice…and in the mean time I find that humor may be a handy and powerful aid to dissipate the fear, even if you have to fake it, the habit grows in you. Great weekend! Ah! and as you say, apologizing for your mistakes right away and accepting them: crucial. Tons of respect come to you that way.

]]>