Imagine you sent your email without including a file in the attachments. Whoops! Perhaps the error you made at work was a little more serious, costing your employer money or hurting their reputation.
Or perhaps you made a mistake that made you look like a complete moron, like scheduling two VIP clients at the same time so they both showed up in the waiting room of your office.
You can create trust among your coworkers and enhance your procedures by making mistakes at work. Additionally, it displays your professionalism to the rest of your team by showing them how you manage mistakes.
You may prevent making the same mistakes again by learning how to address faults at work with your team and determine their underlying causes.
Mistakes at Work
According to Bill Mulholland of ARC Relocation, every error presents a chance for improvement. His company holds the view that mistakes produce solutions, and the most prosperous businesses adopt the best ones.
Here are some common errors that most people can make at work:-
- Making spelling or grammar mistakes in a critical email or presentation.
- Erroneously emailing or sending a private message to the incorrect person.
- During a presentation, failing to double-check figures that turn out to be incorrect.
- On your calendar, clients are double booked.
- Speaking incorrectly in a meeting.
- Missing a project’s deadline.
How you react after making a mistake is what matters and is what most people will remember.
What to do When You Mess Up?
1. Acknowledge the Mistake
Acknowledging the error in front of others as well as oneself demonstrates your professionalism. Be forthright when apologizing to others for your error.
2. Always Apologize But Don’t Overdo
If you must apologize, say it quickly and succinctly: “Hi John, I made a mistake, and I’m attempting to fix it right away.” That is frequently the only thing you need to say.
There are no justifications. No berating oneself aloud. Just accept your mistake and move on. In all honesty, by the time you get to this step, individuals are usually so focused on their own objectives, tasks, and problems that they have likely forgotten everything you did incorrectly!
3. Help in Fixing the Problem
Determine a remedy to any issues that arose as a result of the error, then provide your solution to any important stakeholders. This can entail working after hours or just personally apologising to a client.
4. Make a Strategy to Avoid the Error Next Time
Determine what has to be done differently the next time to prevent the same error from occurring. If you come across a problem you can solve, do it. Additionally, if you think it would be helpful to share with your manager how you intend to avoid mistakes in the future, do so.
5. Earn Back the Lost Trust By Your Actions and Not Mere Words
Delivering excellent work on a regular basis is the best method to gain the respect and trust of others. Period. If you do that, occasional forgetfulness or lapses in judgement will probably be swiftly overlooked and forgotten.
Conclusion
Bill Clinton’s affair resulted in public humiliation. A few years later, in recognition of his work on behalf of human rights and contributions to the planet, he went on to win the UN Citizen of the World Award.
Before starting the prosperous Ford Motor Company, a number of Henry Ford’s early business endeavours failed – repeatedly!
The key is that you can fail dramatically — you can still reinvent yourself, get over the error, and have a fulfilling, fantastic life. Therefore, stop beating yourself up in your head about the paper you failed to attach to that email last week. You’ll be alright.