By Diego Nascimento
I once met a person who beat his chest saying, “I never make mistakes.” This phrase spread to everyone in the office day after day and, unfortunately, it bothered colleagues for a simple reason: we are human and fallible. Acting against this natural principle demonstrates a clear arrogance and pride of those who underestimate the limitations of mind and body. And speaking of Professional Ethics, walk with me through the lines that I “will write” next.
Excellence is a very widespread word today. Meetings and trainings inside and outside companies deal with improvement, qualification and planning at the operational and strategic levels. What I want to make clear is that even with the technological innovations and research that result in Nobel Prizes, we will not be able to reign in all the misunderstandings that may arise in the provision of services and / or the offer of the most diverse products.
But what to do in such cases? My first recommendation is dialogue. Through conversation we know if managers and leaders know how to exercise listening and speaking in a productive and balanced way. It is through talking that we will have an even broader view of the process and give / receive a vote of confidence, as well as ascertain what actually caused the error. The second tip is to organize (even if this requires time) the work routine of the team, the departments … realizing that from the simplest commercial establishment to an industry giant this practice works very well (of course, customized according to the size of the organization, number of employees and market target). Evolution is a constant, and we can never fall into the trap of complacency.
In his book, “The Power of Habit,” journalist Charles Duhigg, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, gives numerous examples of what we do in life, in education, and in business. Throughout nearly 400 pages, the publication focuses on patterns that shape every aspect of our daily lives and, beyond a shadow of a doubt, small or large-scale failures that can be addressed so that they do not recur. Humility is not only linked to unfavorable financial conditions, but to our ability to always learn.
Finally, I would like to clarify that accepting our fallibility does not justify maintaining a wrong. At the same time, I would also like to reiterate that Superman and Wonder Woman are still exclusive characters of DC Comics and their superpowers do not represent our human reality. Even so, strive to strengthen your skills and expand your attention so that excellence is a trademark in your professional resume.