Things Can Still Go Right... After They Go Wrong
Have you ever had a momentary lapse in judgement?
You know...that one moment where you believe you should have known better and it happened anyway?
We had a moment like that in our household this week....
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
I'll do my best to avoid all the nitty gritty details but the backstory is.... my husband had bought a jar of Almond Butter and felt it needed to be softened up...you know...to make it easier to spread. He only wanted to make things easier for us.
It's still a bit of a head scratcher how I could be on my video conference meeting one second... and headed to the Emergency Room (ER) the next second... immersion blender still attached to my husband's finger. No time to end the call... my video displaying my empty chair and my phone still on the desk.
Before we get any further...I'll let you know he's fine...finger is ok...it's all ok...it's just that for a while there it seemed like it would not be ok.
He went from taking a few minutes to do a good deed...to a momentary lapse in judgement (not unplugging the device)...to a trip to the ER.
After One Thing Went Wrong....A Lot of Things Went Right
My husband is the strong one when it comes to remaining calm in the midst of a calamity. I typically don't handle accidents well...but like with most people...you somehow pull it together as best you can. In this case...we made a good team...a much better team than if I had been the one to hurt myself.
Here are a few things that went right...after it went wrong...
I was home and literally dropped everything to get him in the car
He was calm the whole time and his ability to do that gave me courage
He didn't try to remove the device... better left for a professional...so no blood (this also saved me too)
We went directly to the ER (12 min away) even though there was a short debate whether urgent care would be better
The ER had valet parking so we pulled up...handed over the keys and away we went
It was just before lunch time and there were not that many people there so he was seen in under an hour (I know a lot of ERs are backed up these days)
The staff were AMAZING not only in their professionalism and expertise but also with their appropriate sense of humor given the situation. (There were several times he was asked "So...I gotta know...how did you do this?")
A hand surgeon was being paged to be ready if things didn't work out...but thankfully the ER team handled it and we were on our way with just a few stitches within 5 hours of it all taking place
Leadership Reflection
So...here I am... back in the chair that was abandoned on the video call to reflect on the week and what I learned. The Almond Butter incident ...as it will henceforth be referred to... was...without a doubt...the most impactful thing to happen. The question is...what does it have to do with our leadership journey?
Here are a few things that came to mind...
Things can still go right...after they go wrong. YOU...or someone on your team will undoubtedly experience "momentary lapses of judgement". YOU don't need to let the moment define YOU or the team. Quickly assess and make the best choices you can from that moment on.
Remain calm...not only for yourself but also for those around you. It is that courage and ability to stay calm that enables others to perform their best in the face of a challenge or calamity.
Seek out others with experience to help you. There were several layers of expertise that were consulted throughout the process. At every step...the team knew when to bring in someone who had more experience than themselves. Not only did this quickly and accurately resolve the situation...it avoided making it worse. It also resulted in some "on the job training" for those present.
Contingency plan. Alert others and be ready to escalate if the current plan doesn't work out the way you think it will. Better to be ready to have them jump in than to waste more time than is needed.
Embrace YOUR humanity. As you are working through the challenges and solving problems you never wanted to be faced with...take a moment to embrace YOUR humanity. We all make mistakes or experience lapses in judgement. Find a way to allow the connection with those around you and maybe even laugh at yourself a bit. My Husband is a ROLE MODEL for this!
In Closing...
I won't deny it was a rough week...but "All's Well That Ends Well".
I am grateful for the ER staff who do what they do...and that I could never do.
They inspire me to be better in my day to day life and to give courage to others...even if I don't always feel it myself. They encouraged confidence and made us laugh...even in a situation where you are ready to cry. If they can do it...we can try to do it too!
I know we were "lucky" and not every story of "what goes wrong turns out right". It's just another reminder to appreciate each day as it comes and not take anything for granted!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
What momentary lapses of judgment have YOU or YOUR team experienced lately? What steps are you taking to ensure you take time to quickly assess and make better choices going forward.
Who is YOUR role model for remaining calm? What impact does that have on the team when you have someone like that in your midst? What steps could YOU take to be that calming...confident influence?
Are YOU always hesitant to have a backup plan in place because you are too invested in the current plan or not wanting to reveal that a contingency may be needed? What are the repercussions of avoidance and what are the benefits of being at the ready?
What is YOUR most recent moment of "embracing your humanity"? How did it work out or how could YOU have done better in that moment?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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