Key points:
- Often, professional mistakes loom larger than they are
- 5 ways to maintain healthy relationships with your higher-ed coworkers
- 3 ways to show appreciation for your higher-ed employees
- For more on navigating higher-ed careers, visit eCN’s Campus Leadership hub
During this spooky time of year, vampires, zombies, and ghosts lurk around every corner, from the decorations at the grocery store to the movies on television. People love to be spooked. The idea of something from our past coming back to terrify us captures our imagination. Unfortunately, specters from our past that come back to exact revenge aren’t just the stuff of lore–or blockbuster movies. Too many of us have embarrassing experiences in our professional life that can have negative effects on our careers. Here are four effective strategies to dispatch these ghouls to ensure they don’t come back to haunt you.
Don’t cover it up.
Lying or making excuses only makes a problem worse. If you’re in an interview and are asked about a project you worked on that flopped, don’t avoid or obfuscate. Be frank about the outcome, honest about your role in the matter, and quickly pivot to the positives of how you adjusted your approach. If your manager asks about how you contributed to tension in the team, be candid and seek their insight and input. This is not to say that you need to broadcast your mistakes, volunteer the information, or dwell on your downsides, but covering a problem up only makes it grow.
Recognize that growth comes through mistakes.
There is no more potent lesson than one that is costly. When taking the SATs as a teen, I came to a word I didn’t know. I guessed on an answer. After the test, I anxiously looked up “verisimilitude” only to find that I’d selected the wrong choice. I’ve never forgotten the meaning of the word in the many decades since. While you can regret your error, don’t waste it. Don’t waste your time in constantly berating yourself. Learn the lesson and be thankful for the fact that you aren’t continuing to perpetuate the problem.
Make amends.
Did you treat a coworker poorly? Perhaps you left a job on bad terms or never followed through on a promised favor. Have the maturity and humility to seek out the former colleagues you hurt or left in the lurch and apologize. Express sincere regret without excuses and share how you’ve grown from the experience. Depending on the severity of the infraction and the current locale of the former coworker, consider whether a conversation over lunch, a personal phone call, or a thoughtful email is the best approach. It is up to the other person how they receive your overture; you are only responsible for sincerely sharing your apology.
Address problematic patterns.
Do you keep making professional blunders time and time again because of bad habits? Be honest with yourself about areas where you struggle and think creatively and strategically about how to find solutions. None of us are good at everything. Whether it’s poor time management, sub-par communication skills, or lackluster people skills, we all have an Achilles’ heel. Keeping your head in the sand about your faults only hurts yourself. Consider working with a career coach to benefit from an outside perspective and support that can help you get unstuck from the patterns plaguing you.
One final thing to remember about the ghosts from your career that keep you up at night: Often, the mistakes from your professional life loom larger than they are. Was your gaffe really that big, or has embarrassment blown it out of proportion? Spend a few minutes bullet journalling to get your own thoughts clear. Talking with a trusted colleague can bring perspective and send these ghosts to the graveyard for good.
Cheryl Hyatt is a founding partner and CEO of Hyatt – Fennell, Executive Search Plus and President and owner of The Charitable Resources Group, Inc.
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