Error by Omission

I'm convinced that the largest problems in our professional - and perhaps in our personal - lives come from the actions we don't take (errors by omission) and not from the ones we do (errors by commission). Some examples of harmful omissions in the workplace are:

• Failure to confront a employee who has a performance problem;


• Failure to set clear goals;


• Failure to discuss changed priorities;


• Failure to double-check work;


• Failure to coordinate projects;


• Failure to acknowledge good performance; and


• Failure to create systematic ways of performing frequent responsibilities.

We omit these responsibilities in large part because we are busy and because our failure doesn't require immediate attention. (If it seized us by the throat we would probably be more attentive.) In many instances, however, error by omission evokes a sense of unease that paces in the back of our mind.

Part of our weekly review should include an Unease Analysis; i.e., a listing of what is troubling us. In most cases, it won't be something we've done. It will be a gap in action.