You Messed Up, Now What: Managing Mistakes at Work
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You are a conscientious, dedicated professional. And you especially pride yourself in the quality of your work and your impeccable professionalism. Or you may just be a corporate rookie, starting out in this professional jungle, and learning the ropes as you go.
Whether you’re among the most seasoned corporate veterans out there or just starting out as a newbie, this probably already happened to you…And by this, I mean the “Oops” moment when you realized you forgot to update that file, or you didn’t think this email through and pressed the “Send” button too fast…There, you messed up, and you messed up real bad…So bad you’re wondering if you should just crawl under your desk and start calling your girlfriends for moral support, or a recruiter’s name for that matter…Before all hell breaks loose and you get ready to jump ship, please reconsider:
Own up to your mistake!Nothing worse than messing up, and denying the facts. It makes you look bad, and definitely taints your professionalism and reputation. If you did it, own up to it, apologize, and take responsibility. It’s not the end of the world, it’s an opportunity to fix a problem…
Offer up a solution.Ok, it was a mistake, and you wish it had never happened. Now it’s time for damage control. Whip out your creative wits, and propose a fix to the problem. And do it sooner than later, as you don’t want the issue to linger long enough for everyone to remember it…
Don’t forget to follow up!So you owned up to your professional booboo and offered an effective fix. Now the key is to make sure that the solution gets implemented and the problem effectively remediated. You wouldn’t want it to bite you in the bum-bum just as you gear up for that promotion, right?
Last but not least, don’t dwell on it! Don’t allow a mistake to impede your progress. In the words of a big corporate sis of mine, “Dust your shoulders off and move on!”
How are you managing mistakes at work?
The Corporate Sister.
