HOW TO RECOVER FROM MISTAKES AT WORK
Mistakes will happen to all of us. Some can be as small as overlooking an attachment on an email, or perhaps it was a bigger error, that damaged the company’s name. Whatever the conditions or harshness of the issue, ensure that you remain calm and take a deep breath before responding. You can recover from any error, and even develop a positive reputation for honesty and problem-solving at the same time.
Allow Yourself Time To Feel Bad About It
The normal initial reaction is to feel bad about the situation, and the error you made. This shouldn’t last long, as it’s important to recover and bounce back quickly. The important thing is to be honest and own up to it. Trying to cover up will only make the situation worse. If you need a quick break or short walk to help clear your mind, do so, and allow yourself to progress.
Say Sorry
Ensure you quickly make the pretentious party aware of the issue, and take possession of the mistake, and apologise for it. This will decrease the blow of the error to those concerned, as it’s brought to their attention in a sincere way. Don’t put reasons or try to defend your mistake in the apology, this will only make things worse and could come across as shifty. Explain that an error has been made and that you are taking the necessary steps to correct the issue as quickly as possible.
Assess The Resolution
The mistake can appear far worse than it really is, ensure you move past the result quickly to begin on how to resolve it. Will it help to work some extra hours, or do you know someone who can guide you to the best resolution? Or is it something that can be committed simply by yourself.
What Was The Cause?
There are loads of reasons why things can go wrong. It could be the result of pressure, doing too many things at once, or even fatigue. Try to pinpoint what might be the underlying cause, particularly if this is really out of character.
It might be a case that you need to help yourself, potentially by prioritising more directly to ease your workload. Many people in the workplace are sleep deprived; and this can have an impact with concentration, attention and reasoning, all critical factors in not making mistakes.