4 Tips For Handling Mistakes At Work

Nobody is perfect. Whether it is in our personal or professional lives, mistakes happen. While they can cause some setbacks, what really defines a person is their ability to bounce back from them, and sometimes, turn mistakes into successes. Whether you’re a member of a team, or running a SMB, how you handle mistakes will be a defining factor in how others see you. Check out some of our tips below, and when the inevitable blunder happens, you’ll be better prepared!

  1. Own up to them: By far the most important tip, you have to fess up. If the mistake is your fault then you need to take responsibility for it. Passing the blame to others, or simply ignoring the issue, will only make things worse and could cause damaging rifts with your team.
  2. Budget for them: If you’re a manager or project lead, it’s not a bad idea to plan ahead. Like mentioned in the beginning of the article, mistakes happen, and being prepared for them both mentally and financially will help you overcome any errors made during the project.
  3. Apologize for them: Owning up to your mistakes is a great first step, but if your mistake has caused problems for other team members or departments, take the time to acknowledge your mistake and apologize to parties affected. A simple “I’m sorry for causing this and making your department have extra work.” Sincere apologies will go a long way.
  4. Learn from them:  Don’t let this only be a negative experience. Once the errors have been rectified, step back and figure out what went wrong and how you can avoid it the next time. Once you know why you made the mistake, you can pinpoint your weaknesses and focus on working on them.

You’ll never make it through your life without making mistakes, regardless of how prepared you think you may be. The key is being able to quickly recover from them. The tips above are a great starting point, and can really apply to work or your personal life. Even the budget one, you never know when that DIY project will turn into a repair project.