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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.
It's A Small Mistake
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.
Quiz
Dan realizes he is 5 minutes late for a team meeting. What should he do?
Dan should attend the meeting without being too disruptive. After the meeting, he should apologize to the meeting facilitator and take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Did you know?
It's A More Serious Mistake
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 UnsplashTake 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.
Quiz
Susan accidentally shares confidential information about a customer with another customer. What should she do?
Susan should notify her manager right away. Her manager can help Susan determine who from the company needs to be informed (e.g., Legal, Compliance, etc.) and assist with communicating to both customers.
Did you know?
Learning From Your Mistakes
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.
Take Action
You can reduce your mistakes by:
This Byte has been authored by
Lisa Fatum
Technology Implementation Consultant