Turning a Mistake at Work into a Positive

There are libraries filled with quotes about turning mistakes, problems, and defeat into positive outcomes. They originate from politicians having lost elections before winning, scientists who had failed experiments before success, and athletes who struggled before becoming stars. Here’s few tips on how you can turn mistakes at work into successful endeavors.

· Avoid pointing fingers—Nobody wants to look foolish, so avoid assigning blame. It prevents all employees from taking risks due to the fear of public humiliation. For organizations to grow, the fear of doing nothing must be stronger than the fear of failure.

· Learn from mistakes–Understanding what went wrong and why means you’re less likely to repeat the same mistake and more likely to find innovative ways forward. In every failure, there is the potential for success.

· Don’t let mistakes define you--You are not a failure when something goes wrong! What you tried didn’t go according to plan, that’s all. Like many before you, pick yourself up and use failure as a catalyst for success.

· Discuss the mistake–Talking about failures in an open and friendly environment can encourage colleagues to share their  how they dealt with them. This can be a great learning experience for everyone.

· Embrace your mistake–Failure is only part of the journey, not the destination. When you embrace and understand its importance, you take a giant leap toward success.

At Copiers Northwest, we strive to help customers be more competitive in their industry. Hopefully these tips will help stimulate out of the box thinking and help your business be more successful.