As professional people we are of course by definition and nature perfection from the moment we start practicing to the moment we cease!
This is of course patently not true. We develop. We get better. And as a part of that process we make mistakes and learn from them. But also we can avoid mistakes. Say you are in a hurry as a lawyer to send a complex redraft of a document to a client who is pressing very hard for it. Yet there is some nagging thought deep in your mind, almost not “heard” and nearly unconscious that all is not right. Something is wrong with the document.
I have found that it pays to watch out for, recognise and listen to that small voice. Almost invariably checking the document again reveals a, sometimes critical, error, such as editing the wrong version or missing something crucial out. And this small doubt is not easy to recognise or act on. It is far simpler to bow to the pressure and press send.
Brian Goldman a Canadian emergency physician and author wrote:
The redefined M.D. is able to access the still, small voice that says I'm about to make a mistake - or I've just made one and I need to undo it before it's too late.
This requires a certain strength or character to resist the pressure to hurry, and also self-awareness, the ability to recognise and listen to yourself.
Steve Jobs said:
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
I think there are also some simple techniques that support this approach and avoid mistakes. Stop for ten minutes before pressing send, go for a walk, have a cappuccino, talk to a colleague and then return to the computer and see if you are still confident with the document. I also almost always now open a document I have attached to an email and look at it again. No matter how hard you try it is amazing how often you spot an error.
In the long run not making the mistake is worth the small amount of extra time, care and “listening” it takes to avoid it.
This is of course patently not true. We develop. We get better. And as a part of that process we make mistakes and learn from them. But also we can avoid mistakes. Say you are in a hurry as a lawyer to send a complex redraft of a document to a client who is pressing very hard for it. Yet there is some nagging thought deep in your mind, almost not “heard” and nearly unconscious that all is not right. Something is wrong with the document.
I have found that it pays to watch out for, recognise and listen to that small voice. Almost invariably checking the document again reveals a, sometimes critical, error, such as editing the wrong version or missing something crucial out. And this small doubt is not easy to recognise or act on. It is far simpler to bow to the pressure and press send.
Brian Goldman a Canadian emergency physician and author wrote:
The redefined M.D. is able to access the still, small voice that says I'm about to make a mistake - or I've just made one and I need to undo it before it's too late.
This requires a certain strength or character to resist the pressure to hurry, and also self-awareness, the ability to recognise and listen to yourself.
Steve Jobs said:
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
I think there are also some simple techniques that support this approach and avoid mistakes. Stop for ten minutes before pressing send, go for a walk, have a cappuccino, talk to a colleague and then return to the computer and see if you are still confident with the document. I also almost always now open a document I have attached to an email and look at it again. No matter how hard you try it is amazing how often you spot an error.
In the long run not making the mistake is worth the small amount of extra time, care and “listening” it takes to avoid it.
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