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This is the third installment in the series Problems at Work submitted by Beth at Astrology Explored. Mistakes are inevitable and unavoidable. How we handle our mistakes says just as much about our value as an employee as does our good work performance. Beth shares with us what to do to own up to our mistakes and take the proper steps to fix them.

What To Do When You Make a Mistake

Your heart is pounding. You can’t breath. You’ve just realized that you made a major mistake, one that will cause your employer expense or loss of income. What do you do?

Some mistakes are more serious than others, and the ones that cost an employee money are ones that hurt both the employer and you. But everyone makes mistakes. I tell my employees that there isn’t a mistake they’ve made that I haven’t made myself. The difference in recovering from the mistake is what you do about it.

What you do not want to do is assign blame to someone else. No one wants to hear it.

Do not minimize the impact of the mistake. Let the employer decide that for himself.

Do not blame circumstances (a too heavy work schedule, the baby kept you up all night). That only makes it sound like you can’t manage your life; a poor trait to have in an employee.

Here is what you do:

First, take a deep breath and look at the mistake. What can be done to minimize the effects? Can you make corrections? Can you save the customer? Who can help you? If you can formulate a solid recovery plan, you can salvage the situation.

Gauge the impact on the company. You need to know how badly the situation will affect your organization.

Tell your boss, especially before someone else does. And there is only one way to tell him or her: straight out and as soon as possible. If the boss is not available and the situation is critical, you might want to implement your recovery plan. However, if the boss is available tell him or her immediately.

Say, “I made a mistake that negatively impacted (whatever the situation is). It is going to effect (X, Y, Z). However, I think we can (describe recovery plan) and it will minimize the impact of this mistake. I’m sorry this happened, and it will never happen again.”

Whatever the boss’ personality, and however that supervisor reacts, you’ve done the best you can. What you’ve accomplished is this:

• You’ve shown that you can accept responsibility for accepting the blame.
• You’ve shown that you can think constructively and calmly through a difficult situation.
• You’ve shown you can be counted on to repair mistakes.

Take a deep breath. Grace under pressure is a trait employers appreciate.

Join us tomorrow for Ten Sure Ways to Get Fired.

Other articles in the Problems at Work series:

The Bully Boss
Picked On or Constructively Criticized? Know the Difference

working women, work problems, work strategies, workplace