Made a Mistake? Here's How to Make It Right.
Tony Thelen
I alleviate stress, anxiety, and pain so you can lead a successful career and fulfilling life
Dear Tony,?
I recently made a mistake at work that hurt other people in my office.? I missed a deadline I had told people many times that I would take care of, and when the time came, I just didn’t get it done.? I don’t know what I was thinking.? I really messed up, and the business suffered and people that were impacted are really upset with me.? What can I do to make it right???
-Mistakes in Madison?
Dear Mistakes,
The first thing I want to share with you is that people make mistakes all the time. It's part of life. It's only when there are major errors, or repeated errors, where it becomes problematic. I know this doesn’t absolve you from the guilt or pain you are suffering, but you have to know that part of life is making mistakes at times and finding ways forward to make things better.?
The first thing I would recommend is to make sure and apologize.? Apologize to the individuals who were directly involved and make sure it is sincere.? If there are any extenuating circumstances, it's OK to take note of them when you talk to them, but don’t go searching for excuses.? Own the mistake. If you don’t do this with genuine remorse, people will not trust you, and you will be deemed untrustworthy going forward.? Lacking trust is a career derailer for any professional, so this is a really important aspect of addressing any mistake you made.?
Next, get busy making amends to both the people and the business for whatever was left behind or left undone.? Get things square as soon as possible.? Yes, you screwed up, but now you have an opportunity to get it all done.? Do as much as you can, as fast as you can, with careful attention to detail.? There may be some things you can’t correct (i.e. an opportunity has been lost), and you just have to face the music and do your best to move forward.?
Lastly, take some time to find dividends in what you have learned.? What will you do differently next time?? How can you grow through this experience?? You will not be able to avoid a negative effect for your annual performance review, but your overall growth and maturity in life may be better served because of this experience going forward.?
Making mistakes is painful – sometimes it’s personal and sometimes there is a cost to the business, and sometimes it's both.? Life is full of events that sometimes don’t work out as well as we would like to.? Make the most of them, and over time, you will grow through your experiences and do so in a way that builds trust, not eroding trust.?
-Tony