Mistakes happen.
Ever hear that?

Usually that’s what I say when I make one. Trying to minimize the fallout, I make the appeal that everyone makes them. (Reminding myself now that I need to be just as understanding when someone else makes a mistake that affects me.)

Mistakes do happen.

And, yes I have made mistakes. With all of the contracts I’ve negotiated, all the years of experience…? Oh yes, I’ve made mistakes. Many many mistakes

Once, about to settle a contract, I had written down what the final economic settlement proposal would be as directed by my superiors. I even reviewed the proposal – our final bottom line proposal – with the union negotiator. He told me he would agree to it but wanted to run it by his team before I made the official presentation at the table. OK, I said. That was normal.

Here’s what happened.
At the table, reading from my notes outlining the cost of living increases over the 4 year term of the contract to his team, I made a mistake.

Mistake #1.
I inadvertently switched 2 dates. I said the union would get a 2% increase in January of the year instead of July of the same year! And I didn’t catch my slip up. Fortunately, my colleague leaned over and began to whisper in my ear telling me I had mixed the months up.

Mistake #2.
Unfortunately, I waved him off because the union rep was beginning to respond to my proposal and I wanted to get their response down in writing. After the union told me they would accept my offer, we shook hands and finished the session, I asked my colleague what, again, did he want to tell me. He told me, again, that I had mixed up the months of the increases.

Mistake #3!
Well, I looked at my notes – they were correct. So I reminded him that he was with me when I presented the figures to the union’s negotiator and he had agreed. And I reminded him that the settlement would be the same for ALL the unions that year.

Mistake #4.
And then I dropped it.

I dropped it until, I got a call from my boss. She told me that this union would not agree with our economic terms. What?

Yes, this union was holding out and demanding that we give them the pay increase in January of the year and not July like every other union!! Incredible!

I called the union rep and asked what was going on. He said that his team wrote down what I had said and his bargaining unit voted and approved the settlement with my mistake in it! But, I protested, “I had told you prior to the session and you agreed”! “Yes,” he said, “until you gave us better terms!”
And he wasn’t willing to back down. Too late he said, maybe if I had come to him sooner…

We had to pay his unit the same increase of 2% that every other union received that year but 6 months earlier! It was a real coup in his mind.

If only I had read my own writing correctly!
If only I had stopped to listen to my colleague!
If only I wasn’t in a hurry to finish this contract!
If only I took the time to follow up with the union by asking what they had heard at the table!
If only I corrected my mistake and let them know at the time that we were only agreeing to what was in my original proposal!
If only I didn’t make mistakes!

Do I think the union took advantage of me? Absolutely!
But it was my mistakes that led to my employer paying more for this contract.
I didn’t follow up.

And my colleague, what’s he up to?
When I left this agency, he was my boss!
Pretty sure he learned from my mistake.

Mistakes do happen, it’s what you do to correct them that counts.
My mistake, RC.
JT

Anyone remember the 70’s?
The Kingbees?
My mistake!