How to Manage Through a Mistake

To paraphrase Alexander Pope, "To err is human, [to err again in the same way is dehumanizing,] and to forgive is divine."

Okay, let's get it out of the way up front: Thursday's Washington Post Express cover is not making it into anyone's design portfolio. The commuter paper's cover article on the highly anticipated Women's March during Inauguration Weekend features the male symbol. This mistake is huge, tremendous, and definitely not a big league moment for anyone on the Express team. Twitter caught hold of it, and likely before the art-team was off the slow-rolling Metro, the original files were found (hey, Shutterstock!), and the jokes ensued. In today's very-fast media climate, that is the typical gaffe aftermath.

But, what if the mistake is yours?

1. Well, [deep breath] mistakes happen. There have been worse mistakes and there will be worse still. (Promise!)
2. Address the pink male gender symbol in the room. (You won't miss it.) Admit the mistake quickly and earnestly, and when possible, correct it.
3. Make your correction correct. The Washington Post was really having a bad day, today. Even their correction via Twitter had typos.
4. Learn something. To paraphrase Alexander Pope, "To err is human, [to err again in the same way is dehumanizing,] and to forgive is divine. (If you need help, repeat step 1.)
5. If you're the leader of the team, be the leader. No one gets run over by the bus.

So, how do you prevent these mistakes?

1. Keep talking! Build diverse teams with lots of perspectives: men, women, people of color, and different backgrounds and abilities. Brainstorm with your teammates. If you're a team of ONE, don't be the loneliest number. Invite folks into the ideation process who aren't "on the team" or your "go-to" collaborators. Give them the space to disagree with you and ask questions that push your perspective.
2. Google Everything. It's my practice to look up every address and factoid before I sign-off on it. Someone was sure the information was correct, but that someone was also confident that I'll be there to guarantee it.
3. Read aloud or in reverse order. Ever read something so many times that suddenly the most random word looks wrong? You might have wordnesia - it's when "for some reason, we slow down during tasks that are usually done on autopilot." (It's a thing - really!)
4. Do not Pass Go or Collect $200 until someone else sees it. Remember Prevention Step 1 when you brainstormed with a diverse team of people? Good! Go find a new stranger and do a "show and share" for one last opportunity to spot the error.

I don't know the work process at the Washington Post, but I know there are a lot of very talented professionals who did not have a great day today. Too often we think, breathe, and live our work and we miss things that are staring us right in the face. The prevention list is made up of 1 creative step and 3 review steps, that's not an accident! Rarely is credit given to the one who catches the mistake, that's the job, after all. So if you're on a team or lead a team it is essential to carve out as much time (if not more) to review as you did to create.

Carly Schacknies, President of Bonspark Consulting, has nine years of marketing and communication leadership experience. She has worked across industries - retail, nonprofit, education, travel, and healthcare - to develop stronger brands, communicate value, and engage customers in a meaningful way.