My banker just rang me. She overlooked a deadline to renew a fixed deposit. Because of this mistake I lost about $50 in interest on my fixed deposit. The conversation ended with a few ‘I am so sorry’ and again ‘I am so sorry’.
Of course, such a situation causes an unpleasant feeling on both sides. And that makes me wonder – Shouldn’t we take more care to avoid situations for which we have to say sorry later?
Many mistakes can be avoided just by using very simple planning tools. Be reliable.
- Write down your commitments
- Track your promises
- Have a good recall system
For me, I always take notes. After a discussion with somebody I summarize who will do what by when. If it is a bigger issue, I summarize our discussion by sending an email to the other party.
Any date or deadline enters into my outlook calendar. I also still use a very old fashioned review file. That is a file with sections numbered from 1 to 31, representing the days of the month. For any notes or report I decide on which day I will review it or take action and file it in under the corresponding day in the review file. For me, every working day starts with opening of my outlook calendar and my review file. It is pretty difficult to forget something that way.
If you have the luxury of a personal assistant then of course you can delegate this job. Just ensure that your assistant is aware of the importance of keeping commitments and how quickly your reputation goes downhill if promises are not being kept.
Another reason why we have to say sorry often is, of course, when we say something that we regret later. Again the solution is easy. I mean, easy to understand but not so easy to do. ‘Put your brain into gear before saying something’. Think first. Why do we have this conversation? What do we want to achieve? Take a breather before answering.
Careful, this can not be delegated.
Of course, if we are wrong it is correct to apologize and sincerely say ‘I am sorry’. Better, don’t create situation yourself in the first place, which will require you to say sorry later.
Of course, such a situation causes an unpleasant feeling on both sides. And that makes me wonder – Shouldn’t we take more care to avoid situations for which we have to say sorry later?
Many mistakes can be avoided just by using very simple planning tools. Be reliable.
- Write down your commitments
- Track your promises
- Have a good recall system
For me, I always take notes. After a discussion with somebody I summarize who will do what by when. If it is a bigger issue, I summarize our discussion by sending an email to the other party.
Any date or deadline enters into my outlook calendar. I also still use a very old fashioned review file. That is a file with sections numbered from 1 to 31, representing the days of the month. For any notes or report I decide on which day I will review it or take action and file it in under the corresponding day in the review file. For me, every working day starts with opening of my outlook calendar and my review file. It is pretty difficult to forget something that way.
If you have the luxury of a personal assistant then of course you can delegate this job. Just ensure that your assistant is aware of the importance of keeping commitments and how quickly your reputation goes downhill if promises are not being kept.
Another reason why we have to say sorry often is, of course, when we say something that we regret later. Again the solution is easy. I mean, easy to understand but not so easy to do. ‘Put your brain into gear before saying something’. Think first. Why do we have this conversation? What do we want to achieve? Take a breather before answering.
Careful, this can not be delegated.
Of course, if we are wrong it is correct to apologize and sincerely say ‘I am sorry’. Better, don’t create situation yourself in the first place, which will require you to say sorry later.
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