Mistakes….
I was introduced to Robert Sutton by my Professor for one of the programs I have just completed from eCornell (the e-learning subsidiary of Cornell University, NY). Sutton is a Professor at Stanford and has authored several best seller books. I was asked by my Professor to visit his blog, where I learnt about his book “The no asshole rule.” The cover says, “R u bullied by an asshole (Sutton’s words not mine, i think i would still choose a more subtle term) at work, someone who makes your life difficult and causes unnecessary stress.” And I inadvertently found myself asking this question (addressed to me of course) and was not surprised to hear the answer. An overwhelming, loud, splashed all across my mental, emotional and physical canvas…..YES!!!!
What to do next……..well there’s only one man I know in this world who is intellectual, fun loving and amazingly kind at the same time. I do find myself thinking is he a figment of my imagination…..perhaps all these years of being stuck in the lurch with idiots, assholes and more idiots has brought my mind to a point where I have developed an altered reality………perhaps! But like most of my doubts I will just brush this one safely under the huge mat of my confused desire cum brutal reality. Anyway coming back to this friend, he was kind enough to shock me by informing me that a) HE had already read the book (I mean which world are you from dude???? YOU READ???!!!) And b) He will actually take the trouble to ship it over to me. WOW….i’m ecstatic!!
So coming back to Sutton, he says “Organizations should be judged by how they react when their employees make mistakes.” Yes…….this one simple statement and i’m a huge fan of the man…….what great insight. You see the hardest thing in this world is to forgive people when they make mistakes……..like yesterday I found out that my youngest brother had misused his cell phone to a whopping 3000 rupees……which will come out of my pocket of course…….I was furious beyond words, I will never forgive him….but then I was reminded of Sutton and what he said……frankly, i’ve confiscated his cell phone for now………..but somehow there is a strange calm within me, i’m not angry anymore……..disappointed, yes……feeling betrayed, yes…..but not angry!
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