Mistakes happen

In June of 2007, Tammy of TD Bank was given the task to configure an effective way to get 4 banks to come together. She set up a conference call with 4 Bank Vice Presidents in hope that talking about how merging the banks will better them all. The call is also to establish a relationship with one another. One issue that always seemed to arise was understanding how each bank was run, and what path to chose to better the banks as they come together. Tammy had a well thought out, and in depth plan on how to run a bank smoothly by having a routine check up every 90 days to ensure her employees were always preforming their best.

Tammy shared with me that the 4 Vice Presidents did not all see eye to eye on how the others operate, and often disagreed about which concepts they would adapt to. The call was organized for the Vice Presidents to come together to work out their disagreements, so everyone has the right to voice their opinion on specific ideas/pitches.

When the clock struck one, Tammy began the career changing conference call in her 4th story office that would advance her role in conjoining the banks, by coming together a well organized manner. Unsure of how this call would pan out, she began to feel concerned when ten minutes past, and not on Vice President had joined the call. She next grew angry and sent a text to the Vice Presidents saying she was disappointed no one was interested in coming together to find a solution. Within seconds, they responded telling her that they were in the call waiting for her to join, with the thought that she wasn’t interested in their opinions. She realized she had entered the wrong number on her end, and quickly joined the right conference call. Tammy knew she had made a mistake by sending that text, and needed to think about how she would make it right by the other Vice Presidents. Although accepting your wrongs may be difficult, she knew in order to achieve her mission, she needed to step up and make up for her mistake.

When she got in, she started with apologizing for jumping to conclusions without checking to make sure her herself was on the right call, and that it was wrong of her to act that way. Although embarrassed by her actions, she knew she needed to make things right. The Vice Presidents were able to work together after this dispute, and found a way to make sure all ideas and pitches were given a fair shot. 10 years later, the Vice Presidents are still working closely with once another to ensure the company would continue to flourish.

If the Vice Presidents couldn’t have moved on after the conference call squabble, the banks would not have come together and formed the great relationship between them. When Tammy was able to accept she made a mistake, the Vice Presidents were able accept it, and focus on developing ideas to flourish as a team.

Photo by homethods on Foter.com / CC BY