Mistakes at Work
- Most people unconsciously overreact about their mistakes.
- It is much better to accept mistakes, learn from them, and move on.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
- Itās critical to be transparent, and candid own up to the mistake, and not blame others.
- Even if it was a group mistake, acknowledge your role instead of hiding.
- In cases where someone was hurt, issue an apology, but donāt apologize too much, or be defensive.
- The key is to be action-oriented and focus on the future.Ā
A healthy support network is beneficial if it has authentic trusting relationships, has a varied range of perspectives, and follows the 'give and take rule'.
Perseverance is the key to getting back in the game.
- Mistakes are always unique and different, and some can be tough to recover from.
- Mistakes that involve breaking someoneās trust are harder to recover from.
- It is advisable to issue a sincere apology and be patient.
Do:
- Admit and accept responsibility.Ā
- Demonstrate that you have learned.Ā
- Show that you can still be trusted in the future.Ā
Don'tĀ
- Be defensive or blame your colleagues.Ā
- Make mistakes that break trust.Ā
- Hold back, and stay persistent.
RELATED IDEAS
Once you learn from your mistakes, don't repeat them.Ā
The best leaders know creativity often means breaking rules, making mistakes and learning along the way.Ā Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes; leadership is learning from them.
Humor is a great psychological tool to get and keeping people on your side.Ā Use it wisely, and use it oftenāespecially when you screw up.
The next time you find yourself staring out at a crowd of people who just saw you make a huge mistakeāand they know it was a mistakeādonāt ignore it. Donāt try to cover it up. Donāt nervously apologize over and over. Use humor.
When you can laugh at your own mistakes you know you've accepted it and no longer judge yourself on the basis of one single event.Ā
Humor loosens up your psychology and prevents you from obsessing about the past.