The Mistake That Keeps On Giving

We've all received orders with mistakes. In the drive thru bag, via an internet order, at the barbershop/salon. You get the idea.

And, we've all made mistakes fulfilling the orders of others.

A few years ago I received square business cards with just my name on them. No email, no phone number, no company name. And, they were glossy, so they were hard to write on. Two whole boxes.

What do I do with these?

Well, I've always been sort of a packrat. No, not a hoarder. That's different. I decided to not just launch them into the garbage can but hang on to them until I could think of what to do with them.

I decided to use them with the audience when I speak. For what purpose? While they could see how my name is spelled, I could also collect audience member names and emails for a prize drawing. The mistake turned into a way to help me understand my audience.

Establishing and living by your mission, vision, values; marketing strategy; operations; talent development; and cash flow strategy will result in mistakes. But how you use those mistakes as object lessons as you and your business grow may be the key to your team's successes.

What "mistakes" turned into growth opportunities for you? Drop a comment below.

ryan

Ryan Kauth

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Ryan Kauth is a business coach, board member, volunteer, and university lecturer in strategy and entrepreneurship at the Wisconsin School of Business.

If you are an established founder or family enterprise owner, Ryan can be reached via his calendar or his website.