Learn how to recover from a mistake at work in 6min

We are human. At some point in our career, we will make a mistake.

To err is human ~ Alexander Pope

A mistake does not define you. How you recover and learn from it does.

You make a small mistake, like sending an email to your co-workers without an attachment or arriving a few minutes late for a team meeting.

What should you do?

• Take responsibility

• Apologize to the people impacted

• Correct the mistake immediately (if possible)

Do not make a big deal of it. Fix the mistake as soon as possible, learn from it, and move on.

You make a mistake that could cost the company money or its reputation, like sending a report to customers with the wrong information in it.

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

Take a deep breath!

You are likely feeling bad and are worried about the consequences, but it's important that you calm down so that you can think clearly about how to fix the problem.

What should you do?

• Notify your manager as soon as possible

• Admit your mistake and apologize

• Do not make excuses or blame others

• Present a solution or let your manager know you are working on finding one

• Start working on the approved solution

• Ask for help

If handled properly, you can recover from a mistake by demonstrating your problem-solving skills and your ability to work under pressure.

It's important to learn from your mistakes so they don't happen again. Consider the following:

Do your processes need improving?

Do you need more training?

How do you check your work? Do your peers review your work?

Do you have the right tools and technology?

Do you have too much work?

Are you getting enough rest?

There are many factors that contribute to mistakes. Be sure to take some time to reflect on what caused yours and make changes.

You can reduce your mistakes by: