You missed an important deadline with your manager. How can you regain their trust?

Solid feedback share. I would like to offer an alternative first step. Start by looking inward before rebuilding functional trust. Address what is happening in YOU! When you miss a critical deadline, the instinct is often to apologize immediately. But before you go down that path, pause. Ask yourself: Why did I miss the deadline? Recognizing what happened within you is key. Am I overwhelmed…overcommitted and did not communicate it? A gap in resources? Misaligned priorities? It’s important to address this internally before explaining it to someone else. Once you understand your own role in the situation, then you can address the impact on others.

Own up to it. Apologize sincerely, without making excuses. From my experience, transparency builds trust faster than trying to avoid responsibility. Briefly explain why the deadline was missed, but focus more on what you’ll do to prevent it from happening again. Managers appreciate it when you show reflection and a plan for improvement. Propose a specific plan to complete the task quickly, without sacrificing quality. If applicable, offer to work overtime or re-prioritize other tasks to fix the situation.Follow through on your commitments. Over-communicate during this recovery phase by providing updates on your progress so your manager feels reassured. Learn from this experience.

Missing an important deadline with your manager can feel like a major setback, but regaining their trust is possible with the right approach. Start by owning the mistake immediately—acknowledge what happened without excuses and express genuine regret. Then, offer a clear plan to prevent it from happening again, outlining how you’ll stay on top of future tasks. Make an extra effort to deliver high-quality work ahead of upcoming deadlines, proving your reliability through consistent action. Open, transparent communication becomes key—keeping your manager updated regularly shows that you’re back on track.