While the NCAA tournament is arguably one of the biggest events in college sports, the organization was recently under fire for the disparity in amenities offered to the male versus female athletes.
Initially, the NCAA released a statement claiming it was not able to provide adequate amenities for the women due to the lack of space. Though shortly after, Oregon women’s basketball player Sedona Prince filmed a video showing there was indeed adequate space for additional amenities, directly contradicting the statement made by the NCAA.
Not long after, more photos began to pop up on social media showing that this wasn’t the only disparity between the men’s and women’s amenities. Women were offered smaller swag bags and limited food options in comparison to the men.
From the outset of this situation, the NCAA failed to acknowledge its mistake and hold itself accountable. In falsely claiming there was a lack of space, they missed an opportunity to own their mistake, apologize for the lack of equity, and showcase the steps they would take to address this issue in the future.
Making mistakes is natural for both organizations and individuals, but not acknowledging a mistake leaves little room for growth.
While it’s easy to deflect blame, in a world where everyone can take photos and share them on social media, it was easy to refute the NCAA’s claims that there were space limitations. In addition, even if space was the true issue, why were there not steps taken to ensure both the men and women players had equal space, equal equipment in their locker rooms, appropriate swag and equal access to food.
Excuses don’t solve problems and the NCAA missed out on the chance to make things right by not owning up to their shortcomings. By admitting to a mistake and addressing it head on, they wouldn’t have had to face the ensuing backlash.
In a year defined by the fight for access and equality, admitting oversight and outlining steps to fix these important issues would have spoken volumes to fans, the media and most importantly the women in the NCAA tournament.
A sincere apology with a commitment to rectify the situation can often go a long way towards making amends. At the 2017 Academy Awards, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) gave the incorrect envelope to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who proceeded to announce the wrong best picture winner.
In response, PwC began by apologizing not only to the presenters, but also to the films and the audience. While it could have been easy to blame outside factors, the executives with PwC admitted wrongdoing, apologized and conducted an investigation to ensure this would not happen again. It isn’t always easy to admit fault, but the response was sincere, honest and well received.
In my own experience in the workplace, I’ve had to learn to take ownership of my mistakes and acknowledge growing pains. Whether I’m learning new workflows or familiarizing myself with new tools, mistakes are bound to happen – it’s part of the learning process.
Rather than taking feedback as a criticism of your work, it’s important to recognize it is an opportunity for growth and improvement. People are receptive when you are able to recognize shortcomings. When you can view external evaluation as a chance for betterment instead of a setback, you open yourself for progress and development.