Last week was about Legos, evidence, and trust.  This week is about Legos, mistakes, and how you respond.  This entry is inspired by a story from Tacey Boucher.

Tacey reached out to me after the first Lego entry and shared this story.  “Rob built the Mandalorian Razor Crest recently. It WAS missing an important piece. He was disappointed and concerned he’d have to fight or pay to get the piece. He contacted them and their response back was a letter detailing how the Empire had sabotaged their supply lines, but they had found another path and his piece would soon arrive. Rob was all smiles…it was suddenly almost worth it that the piece had been missing and the build was delayed. He thanked them for their reply and immediately got back a simple response: ‘This is the way.’”  Not going to lie, after hearing that story I kind of want to tell Lego that they lost my Batman pieces just to see what cool stuff would happen. 😉

What does this have to do with anything?  I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get it in my head that making the mistake is the end of the story.  If I make a mistake, then everything else stops, and that situation is remembered as the time I screwed up.  This mindset prevents me from taking chances and driving myself and others to be better.  Do you ever find yourself in this mindset?

This week’s story is a reminder that making a mistake does not have to be the end.  Instead, making a mistake can be a powerful turning point in the story.  Lego made a mistake, owned it, and made it up to Rob in a caring and compassionate way.  Since hearing this story from Tacey I’ve told dozens of people, and now I’m sharing it with you because it’s so powerful.  The story is no longer about Lego making a mistake.  It’s about how they responded.  In a similar way, some of the most powerful work experiences are when I have made a mistake, and then responded in a powerful way or when someone else has fallen short only to get up and start kicking some butt.  Does that ring true for you?

The challenge:  How will you respond when you make a mistake?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry