Making mistakes can always leave your gut feeling tossed and turned, but when you make a mistake at work you can feel tense all day. Mistakes are no fun and we totally understand how one mistake at work leaves you feeling like the world is about to end.
On the bright side, there are ways to bounce back from a work mistake!
You can learn from your work mistake and redeem your strong work ethic. Keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes—the key is how you bounce back from the mistake to maintain your professionalism.
Check out these 5 ways to help you keep your sanity and bounce back from a work mistake that you think could cost you your job.
Don’t Hide
Don’t try to ignore the mistake and bury it with other items! Owning up to your mistakes at your earliest convenience can help, whether it feels like it or not. It might be frightening to tell your boss that you were the one to lose or delete an important file, but it’s better to share with them sooner than later.
In many cases, there are multiple files saved in different locations, so the sooner you share the mistake the sooner you can find resolution. Whatever you have to do to fix the mistake, it’s best you do it.
Also, try to do it to the best of your ability so your leaders and colleagues will see how seriously you take correcting a mistake.
Stay Calm
Staying calm is the absolute best thing you can do after a mistake is made. Keep repeating positive affirmations like “I’ve got this” while working through the issue. Bosses tend to freak out at high levels and you won’t be able to bring them to a level head if you are freaking out too.
Keeping your composure and showing that you can fix the mistake sets the tone that you work well under pressure. If you want to keep your boss from freaking over the mistake, it’s important to keep your cool and stay level headed until the dust settles.
Not to mention, when the mistake is remedied and forgotten about, managers and colleagues will remember how you kept a cool head.
Be Prepared
Once you know a mistake has happened, be prepared to have a chat with your boss. Before going into their office or having a conversation with them, prepare a plan or a suggestion to try to fix the mistake.
You can offer to work late to reverse the mistake or call up the client to personally apologize for the mistake.
Taking ownership and finding a solution shows your boss that you are willing to take responsibility instead of pushing it on to someone else. Stay ready so you won’t ever have to get ready, which in work terms means expect the worst but wish for the best!
Show you’re still capable
Actions speak louder than words, so if you make a mistake, show your boss that you are capable of handling tasks, whether big or small.
Rebuild your manager’s trust by taking on projects to help rebuild that trust. Start with easy projects and work your way back to the level you were at. Small moves go a long way and before you know it your boss will have forgotten about that mistake.
Don’t label yourself
The first thing we do when we make a mistake is label ourselves as a failure. It’s unfortunate, but we have to recognize that no one is perfect and mistakes happen more often than we think.
Dramatizing the mistake into something bigger only leads to more mistakes. Everyone in the office has messed up at least once or twice.
You aren’t the first and most definitely won’t be the last. Know that mistakes will happen and be careful to not blur the lines of being someone who always makes mistakes.
Related: 6 Ways to Advance Your Career
Your job should be taken seriously; it’s your livelihood and source of income. But don’t dwell on work mistakes. You’re human and your colleagues can understand the daily stress employment can put on a person.
As long as you don’t let the mistake define you, you’ll be just fine and that small mistake will be forgotten before you know it.
Have you ever made a mistake at work? What tips would you like to share with the CGS community?
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