Ever made a business mistake that made you cringe (or maybe cost you dearly)? 🤦‍♀️ You're definitely not alone! Research shows a staggering 95% of entrepreneurs admit to making "dumb mistakes." These aren't just minor slip-ups; these "Uh-Oh!" moments can be embarrassing, expensive, or even tragic for your business.

This episode isn't about dwelling on past errors – it's about preventing future ones. 🛠️

Meet William (Bill) Holsten, author of "UH-OH!", who learned about mistakes the hard way (ask him about his carnival game venture!) and now shares practical tools to help you avoid them. He translates proven techniques from corporate innovation into simple methods any entrepreneur can use.

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Bill's book offers 10 tools, grouped into key areas: understanding yourself, your customers, your business plan, and learning from the world around you.

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Learn from BIG mistakes – ideally, someone else's! (As Warren Buffett advises). Discover the concept of "Uh-oh-ology" through the shocking cautionary tale of an experienced skydiver's fatal oversight. 🪂 Ask yourself: What one critical step in YOUR business, if forgotten just ONCE, could lead to disaster? Identify potential single points of failure and build robust safeguards: reminders, effective checklists, redundancies, and vital double-checks. ✅

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Ready for some honest self-reflection? Use the "Look in the Mirror" approach to analyze your own recent mistakes. Identify the root causes: Was it stress? Fatigue? Distraction? Inattention? Find your personal patterns and triggers for errors. Create personalized 'watch outs' – specific actions to take (like stepping away for fresh air) when you recognize those high-risk states. 🚶‍♂️ (Bill offers a FREE PDF tool for this - details below!)

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Anticipate potential failure before it happens with a "Pre-Mortem." Imagine your business has spectacularly failed 2-5 years down the road. Creatively brainstorm all the possible reasons WHY it might have crashed and burned. Prioritize the most realistic potential failure points. Develop concrete plans and strategies today to prevent those specific scenarios from ever occurring. This turns potential future crises into current preventative actions. 💡

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Beware of "Situational Blindness" – getting so focused or zoned out that you miss critical warning signs. Cultivate the habit of stepping back to see the bigger picture. Use checklists, but make them count! Keep them simple, clear, and focused only on the truly essential, high-risk steps. Complexity kills compliance. These tools are especially vital during high-stakes periods like launching a startup, scaling up operations, or entering unfamiliar markets. 🚀

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Don't navigate the entrepreneurial journey alone! Tap into valuable resources: mentors (like free SCORE mentors), paid experts when necessary, naive observers (get fresh perspectives, even from kids!), and AI for research and brainstorming potential risks. Ask for help!

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Stop making the same preventable errors. Implement these practical tools to help you think smarter, increase awareness, and build resilience. Protect your hard-earned success from those costly "Uh-Oh!" moments. Create a more reliable, goof-proof business operation. 💪

Now What? ➡️

Ready to reduce errors and build a stronger business? Like this video, Comment with an "Uh-Oh!" moment you've overcome, and Subscribe to Harmonious at Lunch!

Visit the HumanOp Website (https://humanop.com/) to gain instant clarity on the human dynamics and systems crucial for smooth business function.

Explore William Holsten's resources designed to help you avoid business blunders:

• Visit his website for more info and his book: https://www.williamholsten.com/
• Download his FREE "Why the F Did I Do That?" PDF tool (based on the "Look in the Mirror" concept) directly from his site!

Connect with Bill:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-holsten

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you had an owner's manual for yourself or your employees? That fantasy is now a reality. Check out https://HumanOp.com now to download our free app that is proven to change lives and reveal your full potential.

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