My Biggest Work Mistake (and Why I’m Glad It Happened)

We’ve all had that heart-racing moment at work when we realize something is very, very wrong. Mine came during the very first big project of my career. We all make mistakes throughout our careers and lives, but somehow those firsts always stay with us, don’t they? At DRG, we believe mistakes are part of the learning process—let me share my story with you in the hopes that you’ll learn something along the way (without needing to make the same mistake!).

The Mistake

It was renewal season—the time of year when everything felt like a giant game of Tetris. Donation and ticket renewals, forecasting numbers, the letter-stuffing party…all the pieces had to line up perfectly.

This was my first time running the data, and I wanted it to go flawlessly. We’d pulled together our giant Excel file, and carefully merged donation data with season ticket information. The volunteers were scheduled for our stuffing party. Envelopes and inserts were stacked in neat piles. All that was left was printing thousands of letters, and for that to happen, we needed the final sign-off on the data.

I vividly remember sitting in my boss’s office, breathing a sigh of relief while feeling incredibly nervous at the same time. We were nearly there, and I was more than ready to stop staring at Excel. Then, my boss leaned into his computer screen, squinted at the spreadsheet, and asked: “[Donor Name’s] donation doesn’t match his ticket level, and we don’t have exceptions in that space.”

You might know the feeling that I experienced next: My stomach dropped. I got a little warm, and my brain went a million miles a minute. I thought, “How is that possible?”

In that instant, I realized what had happened. I had sorted the spreadsheet incorrectly. I could even see the exact moment it happened. Every donor’s renewal amount was mismatched. What we thought was a clean, ready-to-go list was, in fact, a complete mess.

We had been somewhat lucky—we caught it before the letters went to print, barely. But the mistake had ripple effects. That same spreadsheet had been used to estimate our renewal numbers, and those projections were now way off as well. Weeks of planning suddenly felt shaky.

And the hardest part for me? Everyone offered to help during the process, as it was my first time running it. But I waved it off, wanting to prove I could handle it myself. Thankfully, I had a leadership team that not only trusted me, but also allowed me to fail (aka they built in time because mistakes are part of the work).

My boss at the time had a saying, “We don’t fail; We learn.” And boy, did I. Here are a few things I learned:

What I Learned

1. No one is too good for a second set of eyes. Even surgeons and rocket scientists have checklists. Why? Because humans make mistakes. And if they can admit they need a process, so can I. (The stakes may be different, but trust me, a donor with the wrong pledge amount can look just as scary.)
   

2. Slow down to speed up. My mistake happened because I rushed. Rushing caused me to take more time. In donor relations, hurrying through data entry or sign-offs is like trying to speed-cook a Thanksgiving dinner. Sure, you’ll get something on the table, but no one will enjoy the result. Taking a little extra time up front would have saved me lots of panic and cleanup on the back end.
   

3. Donor experience depends on operational excellence.

   We do amazing, trust-building work in the Donor Relations profession.  However, none of that work matters if your systems and data aren’t solid. Donors need to trust that your organization has its act together. The wrong number in the wrong letter can undo weeks of careful relationship building faster than you can say “mail merge.”

Why Sharing Mistakes Matters

I used to cringe at the memory of this experience. Let’s be honest, I still cringe sometimes. But now, I share this and other mistakes. Why? Because mistakes are part of growth. Remember my old boss’ saying” We don’t fail; We learn.” Every professional, no matter how experienced they may be, has “that story.”

In fact, owning our mistakes and the lessons they taught us makes us better donor relations professionals. They’re a part of the learning process. These lessons remind us of where we started, how we have grown, and, perhaps most importantly, they remind us to stay humble.

Because in this work, confidence will get you started—but humility ensures you never stop learning.

Written by Liz Menne