To err is human, to forgive divine.
To apologize is essential.

By Vera Asanin

I make mistakes all the time, and I expect those around me to do the same. It happens when we do something different, try out a new idea, push the envelope or live on the edge. It is good to move outside our comfort zone from time to time. That is the land of innovation and creativity.

It is also my expectation that if something goes awry, if a mistake is made, then an apology follows. Don’t misunderstand me, though. I’m not talking about the perpetual apologizer—the person who is continually in a state of regret even if an apology is not required. That just annoys me.

To err is human, to forgive divine.
The English 18th-century poet Alexander Pope, in An Essay on Criticism clearly understood the human condition and that we all make errors. He equally understood the challenge some of us face with forgiveness, and that it may be more difficult, thus it is divine. But I think he neglected to mention something in his essay: What do you do when you make an error?

To apologize is essential.
Karen Richardson wrote a short, yet poignant article entitled, “Apology Accepted”. She writes that leaders who apologize are perceived as “transformational” (ethical, influential, trustworthy, caring and considerate) by the recipients of their mistakes. Leaders who apologize are rarely perceived as weak or incompetent, according to research out of the Queen’s School of Business in Kingston, Ont.

When the good weather shows, I want to be outside enjoying it. And if I am home, I find myself zipping around the house doing all those little things that need to get done first so I can go down to the dock, relax and enjoy the moment. When I read the article, “The Myth of Multi-tasking”, I realized why I sometimes do not hear someone speaking to me or the phone ringing when I am tidying up. Apparently, when we are focussed on the task at hand, something may get tuned-out. Our brains are actually wired to do one thing at a time—we have just learned to juggle faster between tasks. With all of the different technologies that interrupt us every few minutes in the workplace, no wonder we are stressed!

Creativity abounds in this issue, with an interview of a former dancer-turned-executive director, a profile of a “steamy” company, and an overview of four very creative businesses. On a lighter note, “A Tale of Two Buses” is a light-hearted tale with a moral to the story.

Enjoy this issue of Your Workplace.

Vera Asanin, President, Your Workplace

Article first published in Your Workplace magazine issue 11-5