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One mistake is working with people who say things like "don't make the same mistake twice." This type of fear-based motivation is counter-productive for both th
by spaghetti 14y ago
One mistake is working with people who say things like "don't make the same mistake twice." This type of fear-based motivation is counter-productive for both the employee and the employer. The new employee's self-confidence is already shot if they make a mistake. "You better not mess up again!" further undermines their self-confidence and starts a downward spiral. The employee feels progressively worse, their lack of confidence increases the probability of mistakes on the job and the employer's investment in the new hire is largely flushed down the drain.
- aggie 14y agoI don't think the post is suggesting that employers give their interns this advice directly, just as I wouldn't expect an employer to tell an intern to "go out drinking if anybody offers."
- Suraj757 14y agoIMO I don't tell interns to "go out drinking if anyone offers". Generally, we invite people out and let them make up their own mind.
- jack-r-abbit 14y ago"you better not mess up again" != "don't make the same mistake twice" Mistakes happen... we all know that. But the article is talking more about what it says about a person who doesn't learn from that mistake. If you have made a mistake, you should be fearful of making it again. So fearful that you are compelled to figure out why/how you made the mistake and figure out how to avoid making it again.
- Suraj757 14y agoThanks, this captures most of the mentality of what I was trying to get at. However, I don't know if "so fearful" is the right mentality that I would focus on. I would turn it around and say that the intern should have enough pride in their work to be "compelled to figure out why/how you made the mistake and figure out how to avoid making it again."
- jack-r-abbit 14y agoTrue. I probably would not have used the word fearful if the parent post had not. Having pride in your work is better.
- Suraj757 14y agoI'm definitely not advocating berating or trying to diminish the intern's confidence. I'm just suggesting that making the same mistake over and over again is a major red flag and something interns (and new hires and pretty much everyone) should actively try and avoid. I probably should have added something in the post about having the full-time employee actively teach the way to fix/correct the mistake, which is something that should always happen.
- true_religion 14y agoAt some point in life, you ought to develop self-confidence that comes from..... self, and not other people appraisal of you. If you made a mistake, you should most definitely try harder not to make that same mistake because there is a limit to how many times you can fail in a work environment. No one wants to stand around correcting someone on the same error more than once.