In the game of golf they are called errant shots, while in business they are referred to as “mistakes”. Given that a considerable amount of business is conducted on the golf course, have you ever wondered why the game of business can’t be as forgiving as the game of golf?
While the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews along with the PGA Tour may provide strict enforcement of the proper rules of golf, there is also the “gentlemanly” game of golf that so many business people and weekend hackers dearly love.
After all, who wouldn’t love a “do-over” at any level of life? For the typical golfer the “Mulligan” is an accepted way of life. Heck, in charitable golf outings they will even sell them to you for $5.00 a pop. The Mulligan is a beautiful thing!
Not only does it raise money for a worthy charity, it gives you the opportunity to screw up your golf shot and still get a free do-over. Now that’s a concept that I can get on board with. Seriously, think about it. What if you could call a Mulligan at work? What would that look like?
Whether your organization is on a calendar or fiscal year, at some point your revenue and sales cycle begin anew. From one perspective you are starting over with a clean slate, in essence a brand new start. Yet, you also have the benefit of all that you have learned and experienced over the course of the past year’s business operations. Gee, how fair is that?
If your organization actually learned something in the process, it might be highly valuable and fair for you and your staff. The valid question is… what have you learned from your successes and mistakes in the course of the past year?
The first thing that you should learn is that every member of your staff, including you, is human and will therefore make mistakes. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of “when”.
The second thing that you need to recognize about mistakes is that they have parameters:
Frequency: How often do you, your organization or people make mistakes?
Magnitude: How significant are these mistakes and how far reaching is their impact?
Recurrence: How repetitive are these mistakes?
As a leader it is your chief responsibility to remove the element of “fear” from your people’s psychic response profile. When people are focused on fear, they will ultimately under-perform due to their fear of making a mistake. Fear will also result in slower reaction times and impaired result outcomes.
Mistakes and the behavioral response to them is a critical factor in the organization’s development and its ability to drive out the fear of making impactful mistakes. The optimum time to address this element of fear is before potential mistakes even occur in the first place.
It is inevitable that mistakes will be made at all levels of your organization. The critical factor is how your organization chooses to handle and address mistakes when they do occur. Your response will directly contribute to your organization’s culture and should be readily considered as a part of your organization’s big picture.
When mistakes occur, discuss what happened with the people involved. Review the potential fallout from the mistake. Develop the appropriate actions to correct it. Then identify the root cause of the mistake and create a resolution to prevent future recurrences.
Lastly, realize that “rework” isn’t a Mulligan… It’s a costly accrual of materials and man hours to re-do the work and it will ultimately kill your profitability and bottom line.
Copyright © 2013 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC | All Rights Reserved.
