Aim at the stars, but don’t be spacey
Boy, I feel like a great intern! I talk to everyone, I take on meaningful projects and I picked the book for Eisbrenner Public Relation’s book club this month. I’m feeling pretty good right now. This morning, I woke up and felt like I’ve transitioned from a student to a business woman. I even wore a suit because that’s what business women do.
As I sat at my desk checking my e-mails in a bubble of exaggerated pride, I stumbled across an e-mail promoting an event. It looked similar to other events my colleagues pass along – networking with PR professionals, refreshments and a keynote speaker. Perfect, right? I thought, “I’m so smart, I’m going to forward this e-mail to my colleagues because that’s what business women do.”
After an hour-long meeting with a teammate, I checked my e-mail since I’ve learned to be great at staying on top of things. I saw a message from one of my colleagues and anxiously opened it to see what project she had in store for me. I began reading, “Jamie, when forwarding events there are some things to keep in mind...”
I don’t want to embarrass myself too much, but basically, I forwarded an event for professionals to improve their resumes and get jobs. My colleague explained how many teammates could’ve been offended or confused as to why I was promoting a career fair. That’s definitely NOT what business women do!
After I stared at the screen in humiliation for what felt like forever, I realized stuff like this probably happens often. I composed my emotions, apologized to my colleague and swore to myself I’d never forward another e-mail unless I understood exactly what the purpose was, the companies and people involved and who’d benefit from reading the e-mail. I’m grateful my colleagues bring the mistakes I make to my attention so I don’t make them twice.
Not only did I realize that I have a supportive team that wants me to learn, I also realized that this slip-up isn’t specific to e-mails; it applies to everything I do during my internship. My actions and the work I produce reflect my dedication and professionalism. This newfound accountability triggered something inside of me – pride. I’ll definitely still celebrate my accomplishments, but I’ll remember not to let it get the best of me.
Have you ever made a silly mistake?
As I sat at my desk checking my e-mails in a bubble of exaggerated pride, I stumbled across an e-mail promoting an event. It looked similar to other events my colleagues pass along – networking with PR professionals, refreshments and a keynote speaker. Perfect, right? I thought, “I’m so smart, I’m going to forward this e-mail to my colleagues because that’s what business women do.”
After an hour-long meeting with a teammate, I checked my e-mail since I’ve learned to be great at staying on top of things. I saw a message from one of my colleagues and anxiously opened it to see what project she had in store for me. I began reading, “Jamie, when forwarding events there are some things to keep in mind...”
I don’t want to embarrass myself too much, but basically, I forwarded an event for professionals to improve their resumes and get jobs. My colleague explained how many teammates could’ve been offended or confused as to why I was promoting a career fair. That’s definitely NOT what business women do!
After I stared at the screen in humiliation for what felt like forever, I realized stuff like this probably happens often. I composed my emotions, apologized to my colleague and swore to myself I’d never forward another e-mail unless I understood exactly what the purpose was, the companies and people involved and who’d benefit from reading the e-mail. I’m grateful my colleagues bring the mistakes I make to my attention so I don’t make them twice.
Not only did I realize that I have a supportive team that wants me to learn, I also realized that this slip-up isn’t specific to e-mails; it applies to everything I do during my internship. My actions and the work I produce reflect my dedication and professionalism. This newfound accountability triggered something inside of me – pride. I’ll definitely still celebrate my accomplishments, but I’ll remember not to let it get the best of me.
Have you ever made a silly mistake?
posted by Jamie at 3:50 PM
2 Comments:
Have I made mistakes? Are you KIDDING?!?! We all do, but most of us aren't brave enough to blog about them. Cheers to living and learning! Great blog post and great attitude, Jamie!!
I'm willing to bet it wouldn't be too presumptuous of you to start clearing the perfect space on one of your walls to hang the well-deserved Golden Guano toilet seat...with pride of course.
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