whenever he discussed something with anyone at work, he would start by offering his impressions of how the other person saw things. Then he would ask, “What did I miss?” Asking this question is a clever move. It implies that he’s open to correction and gives the other person a chance to correct him. One of the deepest-rooted human instincts is to c

An open-minded response to painful mistakes is the source of…

Honest confession. “I screwed up.”

Innovative suggestions. “What could I have done differently?”

Humble response. “Next time, I’ll…”

Responsibility taking. “This is what I’m doing to make things right.”