Employees who own up their mistakes are more likely to grow in their careers.
Most of the employees in organizations face the dilemma of whether or not to own up to their mistakes. Majority prefer the easy way out as our brains are inclined to shelter our egos from allegations/blame when we are at fault. It might save you from facing the music in the company; however, it will definitely hamper the growth in the future. Not taking ownership will prevent you from making wiser decisions at work; the issue will escalate into major ones, and you will end up shunning the responsibilities in a jiffy.
Despite it being tough, as we have to counter the mechanisms of our ego defense system, the task is not impossible. Every employee wishing to enhance his career aspects must make efforts and strive to take responsibility and ownership of the mistakes, making it worthwhile in the long term for many reasons.
Enhancement of decision-making ability
If an employee is giving self-justifications, then the reality becomes distorted. An alternate world is created if employees justify their mistakes, which ultimately leads to a decreased ability of making wise decisions. Knowing one’s mistakes and weaknesses help the person to focus on his shortcomings. One of the traits of the future leaders is owning up to the mistakes and rectifying them at the earliest.
Helps in curbing the escalation of petty issues
If an employee owns up to the mistake and does his best to correct it, then he can prevent it from turning into a huge problem which would have been difficult to control otherwise. Owning up to the mistakes will assist in broadening your horizons which will ultimately help your career growth in the future.
Invest in well-being
Ownership is about navigating your investment in the right direction. A responsible employee focuses not only on self-well-being but also on the well-being of the organization. He/ She is focused and is motivated to drive responsible investment in the organization. The outcomes, which he seeks to achieve, are in sync with the growth of the organization and positive returns are bound to come.
Allows one to create learning
It is true that with great power comes great responsibility, hence one is required to take onus of all the implications of a decision taken by the individual who affects the organization in a significant way. It allows the person to introspect his mistakes as the individual is entirely held responsible for the pros and cons of a decision. Once an individual accepts the faults he/she is bound to never repeat them intentionally.
Strengthens official relationships
If an employee does not own up to the mistakes, it somehow hampers the relationship with the other concerned people. They may think you are self-centered who can shirk off responsibility at any given time. Employers might think of you as an irresponsible professional, who is not ready to take ownership and get the tasks accomplished.
The more we realize that success comes due to our continual efforts and work, the less threatening making mistakes become. As professionals and future leaders, we should all recognize that making mistakes is a part of a learning process, which helps you grow.
