I am a mental health convert. I previously belonged to the crowd who failed to understand those seeking counsel for mental health. Now I know that maintaining good mental health is as important as maintaining good physical health.
Each time I meet with Chad, my therapist, I glean some noteworthy nugget of information. Recently, I learned about controlling behaviors.
Chad explained that all controlling behaviors are driven by fear. When he said that, I laughed because I don’t consider myself afraid of anything (except stinging insects, but that’s okay because everybody’s afraid of those, right?).
After long pauses, some difficult thinking, and prodding from Chad, we determined that I am afraid of failure. But what I realized for the first time is that my fear manifests itself in my behavior.
I share this because accountants tend to be somewhat perfectionistic (shocking, I know…) As we focus on hiring here at Donovan, we see it in every interview—candidates thinking they need the perfect answer, the perfect outfit, the perfect resume.
Here’s the thing: Failing and making mistakes is a good thing; it’s how we learn. I encourage you to make mistakes. Yes, you read that correctly.
Make mistakes and fail, not intentionally, but fearlessly. The team at Donovan is looking for new hires who turn their failures into lessons because that’s how we can grow both as individuals and as a team.
The things we deal with here are not life and death — they can be corrected by an amended return, a reprocessed audit report, or good communication. Almost without exception, if you handle a mistake or failure correctly, you will deepen a relationship with your friend, relative, client, or coworker. No one sets out to fail or make mistakes, but we all do. When you do, communicate, take appropriate corrective action, and move on.
And if you know someone who’d be a good fit for our team, encourage them to check out our openings and apply here.
Jeff Donovan
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About HTJ…Hold the Jargon isn’t your average boring ol’ newsletter bent on only selling you another overhyped service. It’s an occasional note I send out that’s a blend of personal and business. I hope you find this, and future editions, helpful. |
