I just wanted to pile on along with the three +1s I just approved in the moderation queue.
Austin On Mon, Jan 11, 2016 at 7:37 PM, Asaf Bartov <abar...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > Hello, everyone. > > It occurs to me this might be a good time to recycle this piece of advice I > have had some past occasions to offer some newcomers to the movement: > > *So you've made a mistake and it's public...* > > Step 0: > Understand that there is no point in pretending you have not made a mistake. > > Step 1: > *Think* about the mistake you have made. What led you to make it? Were > you acting on bad information? Without sufficient information? On > intuition? Were you pressed by a deadline or by a strong opinion from > someone else? Were you following a broken process? Did you act on the > basis of circumstances you wish were the case rather than the circumstances > that are in fact the case? > (if it helps, consider writing down your answers to these questions, > privately.) > > Then, think about what can be redressed/undone/reverted about your mistake. > > Step 2: > *Think* about the prospects of making this mistake, or a mistake of its > kind, again. How likely is it? Based on learning from this mistake, what > steps are you able to take to mitigate or reduce the odds of its > recurrence? Of those steps, which are you *willing* to take? Of those, > which can you take right now, before responding in public? Which are you > ready to commit to, longer term? > > Step 3: > Armed with your best thinking from Steps 1 and 2, write a concise(!) public > e-mail acknowledging (as clearly and crisply as possible) -- > a. that you have made a mistake > b. what the mistake was, as precisely as possible (e.g. not "I used bad > judgment" but "I neglected to look at relevant data before deciding to fund > Wikimedia Antarctica") > c. what you have learned from making this mistake. > d. what steps you have already taken to redress the damage or undo the > results of your mistake. > e. what steps you are going to take to mitigate or reduce the odds of a > mistake of this sort recurring. (Include timelines for specific actions, > if possible/applicable.) > f. invite comments on your understanding as reflected in this e-mail. > Explicitly encourage people to tell you if they think you've missed the > point or if one of your intended actions is inadvisable, insufficient, or > can otherwise be improved. > > Step 4: > Actually follow-through on the redressing/undoing actions and on the steps > you've committed to taking. Take steps to ensure follow-up on steps that > cannot be taken at once (e.g. if one of your corrective steps is to ensure > X gets discussed in your next Annual General Meeting, set appropriate > reminders to make sure that you actually discuss that by the time that AGM > happens.) > > Important notes: > 1. Do not hesitate to ask for help at any step of this process. Either > reach out to people whose judgment (and discreetness, if necessary) you > trust, or publicly acknowledge you're having trouble with something (e.g. > "Hi, folks. I'm thinking about this mistake, and I have a hard time > figuring out how to balance the need for fresh data with the amount of time > it takes to generate and review that data. Does anyone have some thoughts > on how to best do that?") > > 2. In the public note, and throughout the process, be sure to *talk like a > human being*. Avoid jargon; avoid sounding like your note has been > prepared by a Damage Control Specialist. Just tell it like it is. People > know the difference. > > That's it. It's not as hard as it sounds. > > *Q&A: *(this part isn't recycled) > > Q: Should I really go through this whole thing every time I make a mistake? > A: Ideally, yes. And it doesn't have to take very long, if you are in the > habit of being honest in your own mind. However, as with everything, apply > your good judgment, and use whatever abbreviated version of this you deem > appropriate. > > Q: Wouldn't following this result in drama and upset the community? > A: No. On the contrary. Our community understands humans are fallible, > and responds *very well* to (what it perceives as) honest admissions of > error, commitments to improve, and (most of all) demonstrated learning. > > Q: Still, there would be some drama, no? > A: Yes, there may be some drama, in the short term. Have we mentioned > humans are fallible? > > Q: So, wouldn't it be better to silently learn the lessons and move on? > A: No. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, as Judge Brandeis observed. > Proper handling of mistakes is a sterling quality in anyone, and > particularly important in a leader or public servant of any kind. It pays > long-term dividends. > > Q: What should I do when I see someone else is making a mistake? > A: When you see others making mistakes, help them *see* them (first of all) > and deal with them (e.g. by recycling this text, or by independently > offering your analysis and answers to Steps 1 and 2 above). > > Remember you make mistakes too, and be tolerant of the time it may take > people to accept that they have made a mistake. (But you don't need to > allow them to insist they have not made a mistake.) > > Q: But isn't it true that organization/individual X made a mistake and > didn't follow this process at all? > A: Yes, it's true. And how did that work out? > > Q: So are you saying you always adhere to this yourself? > A: I try to, but I don't claim I always managed it. > > Q: Are you suggesting this applies to current goings-on? > A: I suggest it applies to every situation involving humans. > > Cheers, > > A. > -- > Asaf Bartov > Wikimedia Foundation <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org> > > Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the > sum of all knowledge. Help us make it a reality! > https://donate.wikimedia.org > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
