7 Ways to Avoid Mistakes and 3 Things to do when you do

Nothing slows down productivity like a mistake. We all make them, and we all hate having to spend the time and effort going back and correcting them. Here are 7 simple things you can do right now that will help you avoid making another mistake.

Slow Down
Even though we have so much technology in place to help us, it seems as though we are always in a hurry to complete one project and move on to the next. What happens is that we get so caught up in what we are planning, that it is so simple to have a careless error in what we are doing right now. When we make an error like this, it is so aggravating to think we could have avoided it by simply slowing down and doing what we knew to do.

Read – Don’t Assume
You are reading over a document that you are so familiar with, that you fail to read something that was added in. You have heard the expression, “read the fine print.” That’s because all of us tend to skim through things. When you get that new item that has some assembly required, do you just start putting it together, or do you follow the step by step instructions? How much time could we have saved on Christmas Eve had we only followed those directions.

Understand What You Read
Don’t assume! Don’t just read something; take the time to make sure you understand what you just read and how it relates to what you are doing right now.

Admit You Don’t Know
Oh, this is a tough one! No one likes to admit they don’t know something. Have you heard this one? “If you can’t dazzle ‘em with brilliance, baffle ‘em with bull.” The fact is, there may be at least a couple of things we don’t know, so it’s ok to admit it. When I first got into real estate, I did not want anyone to know I was brand new and had a lot to learn, so I spent many hours studying every detail until I learned it.

Ask Questions
In sports when it gets down to the final minutes and you need a score, you need a “Go To Guy” that you can rely on. My daughter tells the story about overhearing my granddaughter playing with her dolls one day. She was saying, “What will we do; this is really hard. We need to call someone really smart. I know, we’ll call Papa.” Of course that boosted my ego just a bit, but it does illustrate the point. When you admit you don’t know something, go to someone that you have confidence in that will give you good advice.

Follow Through
Once you get your answer, follow through, don’t procrastinate and let something slip by. One of the best ways to do this is to have a checklist. It sounds tedious, but the time you spend making one will be more than doubled in return for less mistakes. In my business, I have a very specific checklist I follow to make certain every base is covered and nothing is left out. By doing this, I don’t have to stop and think to see if I did everything I was supposed to. I can concentrate on the task at hand efficiently.

Trust Your Gut
Where does that gut feeling come from? One good answer is from past experience. The easiest way to spot a counterfeit is to know the real thing perfectly. So, when you come across a situation that just doesn’t “feel right,” it probably isn’t, and you should follow your gut feeling. You will be right far more than wrong.

OK, you goofed, now what? Here are three things that will move your forward after any mistake.

Relax
Don’t panic or hide from the problem, but face it head on. Early in my business life, when I would make a mistake that could cost the company money, I would get unsettled about what was going to happen. My dad gave me some good advice. First, think about what is the worst that could happen, get settled with that and then face the problem. Most of the time it doesn’t turn out worst case scenario, so you can easily cope with what you have to do.

Be Nice
Be humble and up front to the person that you may have caused a problem with, and they are usually understanding and willing to work with you.

Make it Right
Do what you have to to correct the issue, apologize if necessary, but take it one step farther. Share your experience with others so that they can profit from your mistakes. Those of us who have raised children wish they would have listened to us because we made the same mistakes they are making (I just wish they would have listened better).