I'm Sorry, I was WRONG!

We rarely hear those words in the business world!  Why do you think that is?  It seems that pride and ego just will not allow us to confess any mistakes to others, even when they are obvious.  I suppose it starts at the top - when the President of the country blames others for everything gone wrong, why shouldn't the president of a company or the Governor of a state also not admit any mistakes or blame someone else for the situation?
What benefit could you possibly receive from telling someone (or everyone) that you were wrong about something and that you are sorry?  Well, for one thing your own peace of mind that no matter how wrong you were you are at least honest!  Another benefit is making the other person feel better about themselves. Contrary to most claims, becoming a humble person is extremely difficult, and does cost you a price that is almost "PRICELESS." Another benefit will be that you will become much more popular when you are willing to admit your mistakes and others correctness in situations.

Now I'm not suggesting you go thru the rest of your life being a doormat for everyone, quite the opposite. What I'm suggesting here is that you focus your efforts on thinking about what action you are about to take (words or actions) before you actually do that mistake.   Take time to study and ponder (I love that word) before reacting and having to say "I'm Sorry" so often. It also helps when you take the time to study as much as possible within the field of business that you are engaged with, but a caution here, when you do that just remember that you are still prone to making mistakes unless you preface your comments with a qualifier type statement like :"In my opinion" or "I believe" and "I have found." These statements help others understand that you aren't attempting to present yourself as the ultimate authority, but rather sharing your thoughts and opinions  based on your experiences or studies.

 I may be the absolute worlds worst at actually doing this, but I continue to work on it daily and however slowly I do see myself making progress. I am attempting to hang out with folks that I absolutely KNOW are much smarter than I am, and therefore am completely comfortable in listening more than talking - and that helps me reduce my mistakes also!

These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve