Everyone stumbles at work at some point. But what happens when that stumble is a significant mistake? Navigating the aftermath can be tricky, but with the right approach, it's possible to turn a blunder into a learning opportunity.
Making a mistake at work doesn’t have to be career limiting
Take steps to regain trust, minimize damage, and mend the situation
- Use these strategies to avoid future miscommunications and avoid letting mistakes limit your career growth
- Mistakes are a normal part of work, but if you manage them poorly they can reduce your level of trustworthiness and damage your reputation
- For remote workers coming back to the office, the transition may feel particularly intimidating
Make amends with those impacted
While it is an act of integrity and accountability to admit and apologize for your error, you will only rebuild trust if you correct the behavior or issue
- Share what you learned, how it’s going to be different, and commit to doing better
Show your boss that you are making progress
People remember your faults more than your strengths, so it’s essential to take action and not shrink back after making a mistake.
- Maintain hope and persist in your efforts over time, and you will prevail
- It takes time to rebuild trust and reset perceptions, so be patient
Be proactive
Once you are aware of the mistake you have made, try to get in front of the situation before it spirals
- Being proactive about addressing it demonstrates awareness of the problem and relieves others from the potential discomfort of bringing it to your attention
- Reach out and get the feedback of those impacted by your actions
Have compassion
When we have a setback at work, it can be embarrassing, and we can become excessively self-critical
- We can learn much from our mistakes and use them to catalyze our development, so long as we don’t focus our energy on criticizing ourselves
- Practice self-compassion
- How can I prevent this from happening again in the future?
- What’s one lesson I can extract from this experience?
Offer an Apology
Offer a genuine and humble apology, acknowledging your error and the harm you caused to the other person, team, or the business.
- Don’t be defensive or make your apology about yourself. Other people care about your impact, not your intent.
