In Confessions of an IT pro, Becky Roberts talks about her nine biggest professional blunders. It really brought back some old memories. Maybe I’ll write a later post discussing some of my less-than-finest moments. A minor points in the article really struck me and I wanted to point them out:

Mistake #1

• Okay, you’ve royally screwed up. Do you try to get out of it? Or, do you admit your mistake, try to fix it (if you can), and deal with the consequences. I’d also like to give bonus points to the boss in this case for handling the news so graciously.

Mistake #2

• I assume this story is a bit dated since the program was in basic, but I always am amazed when there are no test systems. It happened back then, it still happens today. I’ll be the first to admit that I make mistakes. Lots of them. It was also refreshing to hear that she struggled with how hard she should dig in her heels and fight when she found herself in a bad situation. Do you tell the boss its a bad idea and do it anyways when he tells you to? Do you refuse? I’m not sure I have a good answer for that one.

Mistake #6

• I’ll admit that I’m bad at this one. I have the utmost respect for people who are good at this. If anyone has any pointers on how they developed this habit, I’m all ears.

Mistake #7

• I think this situation is all-to-common. Especially in organizations that are matrix-managed and have individuals split across multiple projects. Her last sentence struck me though. I’ve never had it work for me. I don’t know if that is a product of the particular environment I was in at the time, or if I wasn’t effective in presenting my case.

Not a life-changing post, but a refreshing reminder of the bumps and bruises everyone seems to experience along the way.