Taking responsibility means doing whatever you can to repair the problem.&nbsp;Tell your boss anything you have done already to try to fix the problem. If you have other suggestions, lay them out. Work closely with your supervisor to understand better how to solve the situation.

Suggest a fix

As soon as you find out that you have made a mistake, reach out to talk about it with your boss.&nbsp;If your boss requires an appointment, set one up right away—with some urgency. The less time you wait, the better. This will allow for a faster fix of any potential&nbsp;negative consequences.

Don’t hide from your mistake

Start with a few simple declarative sentences. “I did X. As a result, Y happened.”You can provide more context afterward, but it’s critical to lay out clearly what happened. Also, leave explanations for when the problem is fixed.

Be clear about what went wrong

Overcoming mistakes at work starts with a difficult conversation.Though it may not seem like it, your aim is actually to increase the amount of trust you get from your boss.&nbsp;If they know you will come to them to alert them of problems you have caused, then they don’t necessarily need to look over your shoulder all the time.

Messing up at work

You need to think through how you will handle situations like that in the future.&nbsp;Identify what went wrong. Did you act too quickly? Did you neglect to check your work? Did you listen to someone you shouldn’t have?

Plan for the future

One of the worst feelings at work is when you realize you totally messed up. You stare in disbelief at first hoping that you didn't really make as big of a mistake as you think you did. Then, with a pit in your stomach, you calculate all the ways you can hide and hope that nobody notices what happened.

Don’t hide from your mistake

How to apologize for messing up at work

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