Mistakophobia, an intense fear of making mistakes, is up there with career -suicide as one of the killers of career growth.

The afflicted mistakophobes are so afraid of making mistakes that they never leave their comfort zone.  Going about their work-lives feeling comfortably numb, because they seldom make mistakes, they miss out on all kinds of important lessons.  Consequently they never grow.  And the cycle repeats itself.

There is a thin line between a good mistake and an unforgivable one.  The kind of mistake I’m advocating is the inevitable one that comes from taking risks and trying new things.  It’s also the one that we make a point to learn from so that we don’t make it again. 

How can you tell if you’re on the right side of the line?

1.     You’re genuinely surprised by your mistake.

2.    You accept full responsibility.

3.    You’re quick to find out what went wrong for the sole purpose of finding a solution – not to dodge blame.

4.    You don’t dwell on the situation.  Instead you aim to find solutions and get on with things quickly.

5.     When faced with the same or a similar situation, you’re able to apply what you learned.