A Costly Mistake at Work From Which I Learned

Sometimes, I think this would have saved me from big, big mistakes: with my family, with my significant other, and in my career.

Most of the times, I remember those missteps and I can proudly say that I have learned from them. Failure is a painful path to success, and if you are smart enough, you learn from it and avoid it. Other times though, I kept making the same mistake more than just once.

I remember having a few months working as part of an organization when my boss took me out of the office for the first time to discuss the implications when I got the wrong materials for a customer’s Purchase Order: the high costs, the time invested, the inventory and other losses associated with it.

She showed herself worried and upset but remained open to listen to my explanation: I was just trying to fulfill the customer’s order but since I was not too familiar with the items and products, I mistakenly ordered the wrong materials. We kept talking for a while and she mentioned her expectations on my performance, I also let her know about the expectations I had set on the team, and I made a commitment to pay more attention to detail, so this wouldn’t happen again.

Long story short, after a few months I continued to “fail” and make mistakes. It was not for the same reason but for different ones. We kept having the same conversations and we both were frustrated.

I could not understand what was wrong with me, I loved the job, but I could not deliver what I was expected to. It really was a hard time.

If I only knew what I now know I would probably have saved myself from being scolded while I just stood still. I would have saved money to the company and I would have saved time for everyone involved!

I learned how to deal with stressful situations, how to find resolve, and how to recognize a client’s tantrum from a real issue and most importantly, I learned not to take things personally.

I’m more than grateful for the whole situation; it was a long learning curve, but it was also one of the greatest places I’ve worked in.

Now, I’m thankful for the opportunity that I was given. The patience and trust that my boss showed me. But above everything, she saw the potential in me since day one. It took a while but in the end, we did it.