Mistakes at work happen and either we are the one who has made it or the one who has found that one has been made, but in the workplace mistakes need to be handled properly or they can cause an even bigger problem than the original mistake. Let’s start with the mistake being your fault, this was brought to your attention by either a co-worker or supervisor, what is the first thing you should do? Start by listening to what is being told to you, the hard part is that your mind is already starting to come up with what you are going to say back to them before you have even finished hearing them out. After you have really heard what they have said then “explain” your side. You may have realized that you made this mistake and were just waiting to see if someone noticed or you may not have even realized that you made a mistake. If you did know you had made a mistake and did not come forward first, that is a BIGGER mistake on your part as this reflects your integrity and that is hard to repair and I will address that in a minute. If you did not know then this is what we call an “honest mistake” and the next step you need to take is to state what you have learned from it and how you are going to ensure that you don’t make the same mistake again, be professional, and move on. Now back to the point of not fessing up to your mistake in the first place, you have tarnished your integrity and you need to give a good explanation (if there is one) as to why you felt it was worth hiding the mistake instead of addressing it and taking care of it before someone else found out. The best thing that you can do is to apologize for not coming forward when you realized that you made a mistake, admit that you were wrong, explain what you have learned by this and ask that you be giving the chance to make things right and that you will not let it happen again, then be true to your word. Only time and proof that you learned a lesson, will allow your integrity to shine again with this person. Whether you are the one who made the mistake or found it remember the table can turn so quickly so handle the situation with care. “Experience is the name that every one gives their mistakes” ~ Oscar Wilde
12-10-12
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