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How to Own up to Mistakes at Work

February 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

Owning up to Mistakes At Work
Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to find the best way to bounce back from them. That doesn’t mean you should bury your mistake or deny your role in it. Far from it … In most cases, the best recourse is to step up to the plate and claim responsibility for your error . Why do this, when you could just hide it, and hope no-one finds out. Because it shows honesty. integrity and maturity – three traits that managers and leaders most admire. To lessen the impact of your mistake consider the following steps:

  1. Tell your boss before anyone else does - If you made a mistake that will prove harmful to your company, your department, or your boss, then tell your boss immediately. Do not let someone else tell her. Better she hear it from you. And if you take responsibility for the problem, she will be more likely to forgive you.
  2. Stay poised - Admit that you made a mistake and apologise, but don’t put yourself down.
  3. State what you have learned - Mistakes can be great teachers. Tell your boss what you have learned from the mistake and how you will do better next time; give concrete examples  of how you will handle the situation differently next time. If it is appropriate, ask for your boss’s help in fixing the problem. Leave the conversation with direction in how to minimise the likelihood of the problem occurring again.

Tweetable Takeaways:

Here are some of the Key Ideas for you to share:

  1. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to find the best way to bounce back from them. Click To Tweet
  2. Honesty. Integrity and Maturity – Three traits that managers and leaders most admire. Click To Tweet
  3. If you made a mistake that will prove harmful to your company, your department, or your boss, then tell your boss immediately. Click To Tweet
  4. Mistakes can be great teachers. Tell your boss what you have learned from the mistake and how you will do better next time. Click To Tweet

For any thoughts, comments or questions send Yaseen Dadabhay an email at [email protected]

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Yaseen Dadabhay

Yaseen Dadabhay

Customer Experience Champion
Customer Experience Champion. Blogger. Entrepreneur. Lawyer. Passionate about creating great workplace culture & taking small businesses to the next level. Circle Yaseen on Google+!
Yaseen Dadabhay

@yaseend

Blogger. Entrepreneur. HR Leader. I am passionate about helping people take their careers & businesses to the next level. http://www.yaseendadabhay.com
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  • Jeff

    I would on the most agree with this but I would add that as well as owning up as soon as you are aware of the issue is before going to your line manager give some thought as to how you think the issue should be resolved, don’t dump it on your managers lap and expect them to have the answer! Your answer of course may not be the best way forward but it shows you have given things your immediate attention instead of just causing a problem for someone else to clean up. This will ultimately earn you some respect.

    • http://www.yaseendadabhay.com/ Yaseen Dadabhay

      Jeff – Great point. Definitely agree that you need to have thought up a solution to your problem or at the least have thought of alternative ways of resolving the problem before you approach your boss.

      It definitely shows that not only are you owning up to your mistake, but that you are at the least taking responsibility for sorting it out – Sometimes you really will need your bosses position or political accumen, and cant do it on your own , but you need to still show that you have made a effort!

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