Less 'Perfect' in Our Work Than We Believe
It's a shocking discovery for many yet not those with the strongest mindsets
There are professionals who believe — and at times act as if — their performance is always perfection or close enough to it that people, and they too, should be satisfied.
Perfection though, is rare.
It takes a self-assured person to conduct an assessment and honestly conclude and publicly express that work without flaw wasn’t achieved. Errors were present.
Doing so, without defensiveness and ego-protective, excuse-making can be difficult.
Pistol shooter Kim Ye-ji, who won the silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, recently communicated her honest assessment in front of an international audience.
The 31-year-old South Korean is ever confident and expects the best of herself in her work yet was able to talk humbly and bluntly about falling short in her performance and expected excellence.
“Until now,” she told Max Kim at the Los Angeles Times. “I thought that I was a perfect shooter with absolutely no weaknesses to work on. And I think that’s part of the reason why I slipped up in the way that I did.”
Notice what she humbly confessed:
Perfect. Absolutely no weaknesses to work on. Part of the reason why I slipped up.
Kim, like all of us, have weaknesses, sometimes even in our strengths. Everyone is capable of making a mistake or error. Even the best. Even you and me.
When we develop a hardened belief, in either complacency or oversized ego, that we don’t make mistakes, don’t commit errors, don’t have work with flaws, other people will see that isn’t true and we look bad, worse than the less-than-perfect work we’re trying to pass off as better than we are claiming.
How we respond to our mistakes, errors or weaknesses will determine not only how close to perfection we can-and-will get but also how other people experience, perceive and judge our work and us.
A person can retain their pride, confidence, while being honest about errors and still be respected.
“I am always confident,” Kim said after winning the silver medal.
“At worst, I will try to win one gold medal.”
Michael Toebe is a specialist for trust, risk, relationship, communications and reputation at Reputation Intelligence - Reputation Quality. He serves individuals and organizations by helping them further build, protect, restore and reconstruct reputation.
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