We all make mistakes; to err is human goes a well-known saying but how many of us accept that we have made mistakes and work towards making it right? Well, barely a handful of us. It is very natural for us human beings to make mistakes, but at the same time not taking responsibility for the mistakes is a sign of arrogance and having an ego.
People usually refrain themselves from accepting their mistakes due to the fear of the consequences they have to face if they admit their mistakes. When people realize their mistakes most of the time, they try to hide the truth as nobody likes to be reprimanded and people don’t like the idea of looking bad in front of people. It is mostly a matter of image for the people who hesitate from correcting their mistakes, and they take the easy route of either not admitting their mistake or very conveniently blame it on others. The repercussion of behaving in this manner is that the person loses his/her credibility and they are deemed to be untrustworthy, and once trust is lost it is tough to get it back.
Many a time people don’t know how to set things right once they become aware of the mistake they have made. If you have made a mistake it is advisable to apologies quickly, humbly and sincerely, giving a heartfelt apology and in most cases takes the sword out of people’s hands; while apologizing later is better than not apologizing at all, apologizing and rectifying mistakes immediately will do far more to build and restore trust. As the famous Japanese saying goes “When you have to bow, bow low”!! Although apology works what matters is how they correct their mistakes. It could be giving freebies to the customer if the product they got was not up to the mark or at a restaurant they provide the free meal to the customer as the waiter gave them the wrong order and so on and very promptly without letting the customer first ask for it. The things done to restore the faith of the person at the receiving end shows the real character of the organization.
People are not comfortable working with a person who doesn’t own up to his/her responsibility. They try to avoid people who make excuses or blame others for the action taken by them. If you have made a mistake then do acknowledge it, putting others in jeopardy for something they have not done is a sign of a person who cannot be trusted. By taking ownership, the person will not only develop self-respect but also will gain respect from others. When people respect you, that means they have complete trust in you, which is essential in any relationship.
Taking responsibility should not be limited to just the professional life; it is equally important personally as well. It plays a vital part in enjoying a successful and healthy relationship. In private or family relationships the extra mile a person goes to set things right to rectify the mistakes helps in developing a strong bond between the individual. It could be a simple apology along with a personal kind note expressing themselves, or buying their favourite flowers in the form of apology which goes a long way in making things right. It does require some efforts in making restitution, but if done sincerely it helps in restoring the lost trust.
In a nutshell; be it professional or personal taking ownership of your actions helps in creating an environment of trust and dependability. It is taking action. It is doing what you can to correct the mistake and do a little more to rectify it. Even if you are at the receiving end, even then it is essential to support the person by being forgiving and helping the person in doing the right thing in building trust rather than making things difficult for them. Acknowledging one’s mistake gives freedom to others to do the same, which is extremely critical towards enabling culture, both at work and at home.