#124: Admit your own mistakes to your coworkers

If you’re reading this blog, you probably feel strongly about making the library welcoming and inclusive, and you’re probably an advocate for that with your coworkers. That’s vital and important, but be aware that it runs the risk of making you too intimidating to ask questions of. If people see you as ‘the person who always gets that PC stuff right',’ they may be afraid to admit things that they don’t understand or areas where they know they need help. When you goof up, mention it to your coworkers—”Hey, I had an embarrasing moment on the desk this morning. I was registering a new patron and called them ‘Sir.’ Turns out the patron is a woman and definitely prefers ‘Ma’am.’ I was just trying to be polite but I ended up making her feel bad during her very first interaction with the library, ugh. I forgot my own advice that you can totally convey respect to someone without using those gendered terms.”

Not only is discussing these mistakes a learning opportunity for them on its own, it also shows your coworkers that you won’t jump down their throats for asking a question that comes from a place of ignorance.