How are you? Have you had a good week? I do hope you are well and have a relaxed and easy weekend.

My original plan for this week is to focus my time on one of my researching reports and to complete it before October. However, except my daily work and projects, I was given a new job to hold a short daily manager meeting in the morning, to hear every department to report what they will do for today and give all of the managers an opportunity to adjust their work.

Someone had sent something bad on one of our news web sites and made the web site was closed for about 4 hours. We want to strengthen our management work. After all, we are entrusted to publish the official information of different organizations in the industry and the government via different mediums ? web sites, Television, magazine and newspaper. Meanwhile, we want to avoid doing something repeatedly and improve our efficiency.

I feel honor for the new duty. Meanwhile, I feel triplex press -- I have to arrange my other project's daily meeting at another time. I must read three industry newspapers and one local newspaper before 9:30am and make sure what has happened in the industry and the country, what we should stress to work on. Then, I can give my own opinions after hearing the reports from the others; also, it is a work with a very high risk.

I remember clear, 10 years ago, August, 1996. I was working as a department manager in a newspaper office, one of engineers in my department fixed a wrong data into our system and an editor who was in charge of the checking did not find it. So that two of the listed companies half year’s benefit were confused and the wrong information was published in the next day’s newspaper. We found it before the stock market started to trade. We reported the thing to the Stock Exchange. The stocks of the two listed companies were stopped to be exchanged for one day, until the mistake was corrected next day. This is a very big accident and a group of people, a vice chief editor, me, the editor and the engineer were punished via some documents and also salary. I had no one coin salary that month.

Maybe for the psychology problem, the more to be scared to make a mistake, the more mistakes were made. Very often, we had checked something several times, then, it was wrong once more next day. In the following time, my department continuously made 4 times mistakes, so that I did not get any salary for about 2 months. I could face any punishes with a calm heart, for it was really that we had made a mistake, but I could not find out of the reasons. For about 3 or 4 months, I was scaring to hear the telephone from the chief editor. As long as I hear his voice over the telephone, the first responding in my mind "Bad, something wrong once more", tears would be down at the same time!

The last time that I was punished was in 2002, for a similar mistake on one of our web sites.

Now, since 10 years I have been punished, I am still feeling press. But I have had more confidence and ability to face and deal with the things wrong or good in my work, with a stronger psychology and smiles, work has changed to be an enjoyment and an art.

Have you been punished for your mistakes in your work? How do you face the mistakes and punishes. How does your company to deal with the mistakes of its employees?


I am just a learner on art, music, English and the work on the web site in my free time. Anyway, I would really like to do a little bit things with what I have learned to make this little web site to be An Electronic Bridge Of Culture Exchange, Friendship, and Language Learning. During the process to help the others and to improve myself.

I do appreciate your understanding, directions and supports. I do hope to get your great help continuously now and in the coming time...

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahaoo.com. You are welcomed to publish your opinions in the forum.

--Shirley
Written and Edited On Sun, Sep 25, 2006