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The "Baton" Effect in Your Solo Business

At the recent Beijing Olympics, both the USA's men's and women's track teams were disqualified in the 4x100-meter relay event because of dropped batons. It was a moment of shock for both runners and viewers as both teams faltered in the fleeting moments for which they had spent years preparing. (Full details in the ESPN story.)

What struck me, however, was the different responses from the athletes after the event. Now, keep in mind that the baton pass is a skill that relay runners practice literally thousands of times in their training. And these are some of the top competitors in the world.

So what was the response of the athletes after this stunning blunder? Most of them were mortified, accepting responsibility for their poor performance. Female runner Lauryn Williams, however, saw it differently. "What I'm telling people is that the stick had a mind of its own," she said. "It's not my fault, it's not her fault, it's not either of our fault."

Wrong answer.

As a solo business owner, you may not operate on the global competitive stage. But how do you react when something blows up in your business? Point the finger (it was the baton's fault!) or accept the blame? I encourage you to choose the latter, for many reasons, including these three:

1. It telegraphs your integrity.
Accepting responsibility for all the outcomes in your business reveals your integrity and the moral foundation you bring to your work. If something goes wrong, it's powerful to say, "I screwed up. What can I do to make it right?" No long-winded explanations needed. Just fix it.

2. It keeps you humble.
As solo business owners, we learn by experience. And that involves trial and error. Without the stumbles, no growth occurs. With no growth, we get bored -- the deadliest affliction for any soloist. So as you're eating crow because you fumbled something in your business, recognize that it's also a chance to stretch and grow.

3. It's authentic.
No business ever operates flawlessly. Mistakes crop up every day. The companies that are able to respond and course-correct these errors are those that will thrive. Understanding, accepting and taking responsibility for these mistakes is the reality of building a business.

In a solo company, when things go wrong, there's not much room to hide. But that's OK, because stepping up and accepting responsibility -- for both the successes and the screwups -- is all part of the life we've chosen.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com

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Next Issue:
Why LOL Makes Good Business Sense