If you are perfect, stop reading. There is nothing here for you. On second thought, this article is probably more for you than it is for anyone else.

Keep reading if you:

  • avoid risk
  • are afraid to fail
  • get annoyed when people screw up
  • have difficulty owning up to your mistakes
  • hold yourself to high expectations
  • are a perfectionist
  • want to learn why mistakes create more success

Standards are important BUT holding yourself or other people to unrealistic standards makes working together difficult. We’re all going to mess up. We will all make mistakes.

If you want to be someone people love to work with, you’ve got to get comfortable with making mistakes. Yes, I said it! Be a mistake-maker and let others do the same! It’s called Grant G Factor. It means giving yourself AND others permission to mess up, screw up, bite it, biff it, or however you want to put it.

Here are three types of people who are terrible mistake-makers.

TYPE 1. I’m okay when others make mistakes BUT not okay when I do.

Welcome to double-standards! You are one of those people who hold yourself to a higher standard than you do others. (Ahem … you might be known as an over-achiever, perfectionist, driven performer, sycophant, micromanager, or another back-handed label). If you are this type, people might wonder why you are so hard on yourself. It can make people feel uneasy around you and make you unapproachable.

TYPE 2. I’m okay when I make a mistake BUT am critical when others do.

Welcome to double-standards part deux. No one likes to work with someone who doesn’t walk their own talk. (Ahem … you might be known as a jerk, hypocrite, or a person who is self-righteous, or unfair.) If you are this type, you probably stress others out because they never feel like they live up to your expectations. They may even hide their mistakes when they work with you.

TYPE 3. Mistakes are not okay. Period.

Bad news – you’re living in an alternate universe. Good news –you have much room for growth! [Before I go on, I add this disclaimer: I realize in some situations the margin of error must be zero. For example, if you are a surgeon responsible for removing a cancerous tumor in my leg, please don’t allow yourself to make the mistake by trying to remove it from my brain.] With regards to the aforementioned disclaimer, I’m not talking about the kinds of mistakes that are catastrophic. I’m talking about the other kinds of mistakes. Yes, we should do what we can to mitigate risk; however, reality is that mistakes are the result of imperfect action by imperfect humans.

Give yourself permission to make mistakes and others permission too. Magic happens when you do.