In the company which I work at currently, there's a boss, me as his assistant and the other staffs. I remembered one time when I made a big mistake towards my boss, I didn't apologize right away when we were discussing it. I just kept my head down and being silent the whole time.
Then there was this one time we were working on a case and the case's file was missing. There were staffs that handled on files keeping so these staffs were blamed for the missing of the case's file. Somehow I found the file in my compartment, which meant that I was keeping the file all along but I didn't remember. It's a mistake on my part while other people got blamed at so I felt so apologetic but surprisingly, I was too ego to apologize at that time.
It's the same case with my family. If I was rude towards my parents or my brothers, I found it so hard to apologize right away, to exactly say the word 'sorry'. I don't know why I have this habit, this ego to apologize though I knew it's only right to apologize right away if you realized you've made a mistake.
Earning respect by admitting your mistake
In professionalism, we want people to respect us, no matter how young we are, in return for us to respect them back and I learned that one way of earning respect is to admit your mistake, no matter how big it is. The big boss of the company just reported to duty last July. He is a boss who would coolly admit his mistakes even during a meeting. There was this one time an officer explained about one matter multiple times but he still couldn't understand it. He assured the officer by saying, "It's not your fault, you explained it well. I'm at fault for not able to catch up on it sooner," I realized being a cool boss like that is more admirable and respected.
Learn from your mistake
By lowering down your ego and apologizing for your mistake would make you learn from it too. That is the most important thing to do after making a mistake after all. It's so that you'll learn to face the mistake, correct it back and won't repeat it again. Otherwise, you won't be able to overcome it and you'll live with guilt your whole life which could even lead to depression.
I'm the type that only apologize after a while. For example, the time I was being scolded by my boss, I only texted him to apologize after I exited his room since I realized I won't get over the mistake if I didn't apologize. The time I mistakenly kept the file to myself, I only apologized to the staffs after a while, when I couldn't bear the guilt anymore. I started to apologize right away to my parents if I was being rude as I knew their heart hurt if I didn't say that I was sorry. I realized I still have the ego of not apologizing right away. I'm still learning to overcome this, also learning to NOT make a mistake that often, so less apologizing, tehee.
Are you ego enough to not apologizing like me or you're the type to apologize right away?
Till then,
Lya.