Corrections, How to Accept

Everyone needs to be corrected from time to time; none of us is perfect. There are two different ways to take it when you get corrected:

EITHER you can respond with:

• I have never done that.
• I think everyone should be allowed to do it even if it’s against policy.
• If I did do it, it’s someone else’s fault.
• That’s how we’ve always done it.
• Gary told me to do it that way.
• Everyone else is making worse mistakes than I do.
• How dare you criticize me after all I’ve done for you?
• Everything is negative around here; I can’t work under these conditions.
• I don’t know how or when but I will find a way to get back at you for this.

OR you can choose to respond with:

• You’re right, we could improve on that and I can see that this is a better way to do it. We need to get this policy/procedure back in right away. I’ll personally learn this policy/procedure right away and make sure that I do it this way from now on, and make sure that everyone around me is doing it this way as well. What else can I do to be part of the solution?
• I will start applying this right away. I also have an idea which would make this policy/procedure even better and I’ll put that in writing and submit it to the proper terminals right away.
• I’m concerned about the effects of this policy/procedure and I’ll put that in writing and submit it to the proper people right away. Meanwhile I will start applying it right away the way it is written.

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution and YOU decide which one to be.