Pride before the fall

Settling into our seats before the gala event started, the vice-president and I both leafed through the program. When I saw the sponsorship ad from my employer I was shocked. It was the wrong one! I had a moment of blind panic wondering how that could possibly have happened on my watch as department manager, then I leaned over to the vice-president to alert him to the problem. Eyebrow raised, he told me we would discuss it in the morning. 

I have no memory of that conversation, but I do remember clearly the feeling I had when I realized that I had played a major part in creating the problem. As I had gone over the chain of events leading to the program’s printing, I remembered that the event communication person had called me to ask if I was sure the ad we had sent was, in fact, the one we wanted to have in the program. With hardly a moment’s reflection, I had said, yes, it was. Oh, the person said, OK. And that was that. Problem cemented, though I didn’t know there was a problem until the night of the event. 

It turns out that, somehow, indeed, my department had sent in the wrong ad, but I had been so sure of our proofing and sign-off procedures that I did not give credence to the event person’s question. I was too busy being self-assured and proud to spend even a moment listening to him and questioning myself. 

That’s very bad form, because nothing is so valuable as feedback offered by someone who has your best interests at heart. (Unlike a different vice-president in that same company who took great pleasure in circling errors in the newsletter my department printed. He would mark the mistakes in pen in his copy and then leave the issue open on my desk for all to see. Horrid — not helpful or respectful.) But when I hear from readers who are responding with genuine engagement to what I have written — well, I am open to it all: praise, critique or question. Bring it on.

I learned an important professional lesson — and also life lesson — from that gala event printing mistake. And it’s one I continue to benefit from as I put more and more writing out into the world: When I hit ‘send’ or ‘publish’ these days, I hear that quiet insistent voice in the back of my brain asking, Are you sure? Did you get it right? No mistakes in this one? Well, I am human, and I will make mistakes. So, if you see them before I do, please let me know. My mind is open, as are my ears. I'll gladly take your call (or read your email). 

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Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash