A mistake at work doesn't have to sink your career. You might think your error is as bad as a stray comma that lost a multimillion-dollar labor dispute, but chances are if it's a minor oops, you'll get to keep your job. The key lies in how to go about making up for your mistake.
Understand a Few Things
Even before you make a mistake at work, understand that everyone makes errors. Think of innocuous things such as sending the wrong email to a client or getting someone's name wrong when you first meet him. Recover quickly from these minor faux pas as a way to teach yourself to be ready for larger-scope business failures.
Recover From Failure
It's only a failure if you fail to learn. Take a few steps as you recover from failure to try to keep your job after a more egregious mistake at work. These errors range from mishandling a client account and losing a major client to accidentally giving away company secrets or insubordination. These missteps don't have to end your career.
1. Reduce Panic
Your first reaction to a mistake at work may be to go into panic mode because you're uncertain as to what to do next. Calm down and take your emotions out of the equation. You can't go back in time to change things regarding your mistake, but you can fix things as soon as possible. Look at the scenario as an opportunity to show off your problem-solving skills.
2. Apologize and Accept Responsibility
Apologize to whomever you need to, including your supervisor, teammates and the people affected most by your mistake. Then, own your mistake and take responsibility for it. Tell them you're going to fix this mistake at work, and then take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.
3. Implement What You Say
The next step is probably the hardest because you have to make amends for what you did. Earn back the trust you lost by diligently working with clients and colleagues to rectify what happened. Leave the situation in better shape than what it was beforehand. If a project slipped behind due to your mistake, make up for it by delivering more volume.
4. Ask for Feedback
After you smooth things over with everyone, ask for feedback regarding what you can improve upon the next time you face a similar situation that led to your original error. If there's a procedural problem that everyone at the office can learn from, consider leading a training workshop on how to prevent this mistake in the future.
The most important thing you can do regarding a mistake at work is to move forward and don't let the error get you down. Rather than dwell on the scenario, be glad you were able to solve things by staying humble. Eventually, you'll heal from the discomfort of going through the situation after fully processing everything that happened.
Photo courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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