I wish to be the Master of New Mistakes.

Glassblowers only get burnt once. How about the rest of us?

When discussing mastery we typically imagine proficiency, competence or command of one’s trade. A “you’ve got this” kinda’ thing. In his book ‘Outliers’, Malcolm Gladwell suggests 10, 000 hours of deliberate practice to obtain mastery. I’ve lived longer than that, really.

While meeting with my team today, I found myself once again micromanaging my star performer. She has consistently proven that the more space I give her, the better she performs. But, oops, I did it again. Arghhh.

It reminded me of my trip to a renowned glassblowing facility in Vermont, nearly 20 years ago. Looking down from the visitors’ area one could see the open fire furnace and the workers focused on their craft. In the entrance, there was a giant poster with a photo of a glassblower in action. Underneath it, the caption: ‘Question: How many times does a glassblower get burnt in his life? Answer: Just once’. I’ll have what they’re having…

I will forever make mistakes for I am human.

I strive not to make the same mistake twice.

I pray to become the Master of New Mistakes.

Amen.