If ever there was a bitter pill to swallow, this one would be the most bitter of them all. Having to admit that you are wrong. I have found that, in the workplace, junior and senior employees sometimes struggle to admit they are wrong. Whether it be because of a mistake that they've made or a fact that they got wrong. So I asked myself, why won't I admit if I am wrong? I came up with the following reasons:
I don't want to look bad in front of my subordinates/line manager/colleagues
My ego is so delicate and fragile, why would I want to bruise it?
Winning an argument is more important than the actual issue
I'm supposed to know "everything"
These are a few reasons that I have identified, and none of them have added any value to my career. What's the point here? The point is that you are a human being with an ego, and sometimes that ego needs to take the backseat so that you can get your work done. Admitting you are wrong, and even apologizing to someone about it, will not be the end of the world. You don't know everything, even after 10 or 20 years of working, and that's okay. If you become comfortable with this then it won't be a problem to learn from a mistake or a failure. Saying "sorry, I was wrong" will not let you crumple into a heap, it might let your eye twitch a little bit, but I promise you will be a better leader afterward.
In conclusion, try and see the bigger picture and ask yourself if it's really worth it to hammer your point despite it being wrong. Get the eye twitch out of the way and save yourself (and others) some time that could be used for something productive. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.
Until next time, stay safe!
