The Big Mistake and How to Recover

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The Big Mistake and How to Recover

While making a mistake at work can be a difficult and uncomfortable situation to navigate, it is something that people can overcome in most cases. Several years ago, I led an operations team that managed technical processes that impacted tens of thousands of users on a weekly basis. Completely by accident, I launched a process on the wrong day that touched thousands of users. The minute I did it I knew something was desperately wrong. My stomach hit the floor as dread completely paralyzed me. There was no way to fix this on my own and it was a mistake that, even if I wanted to, I could not hide. It was with a heavy heart and great remorse that I took one of the longest walks of my professional life to my boss's office to throw myself on my sword and fess up. I had already notified the technical team that would help me reverse the process and set things right, but the damage was done. In the end, after communicating with users and working with colleagues the issue was resolved. This was one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my professional life, but certainly not the only one. If you are lucky enough to not have made a mistake at work, I applaud you. It is my sincere hope that you never do. However, as human beings, it is likely we will all get ourselves in a pickle at least once in our professional careers and might need some help on how to recover. 

What Do You Do if You Make a Mistake at Work?

If your response is anything other than immediately tell on yourself and own the mistake unequivocally you are likely setting yourself up for more pain than if you just faced the mistake head-on. Don't get me wrong, I understand the knee-jerk reaction and have been tempted myself to simply run for the hills and hope for the best. But to give into that temptation, you may find there is more at stake than the direct repercussions of the error itself. Your credibility and reputation as a leader and the ability for others to continue to trust and follow you could also be at risk. By admitting and owning the mistake and the consequences that follow, you are more likely to maintain the trust and respect of your team and the support of your peers and leaders.

Now that all sounds very dramatic and many mistakes that we make as leaders do not have such dire and far-reaching implications. Regardless of the impact and the severity of the mistake it is important to acknowledge and take responsibility right from the start. Resist the urge to deny or downplay the error and own it. The next step may very well be the hardest and involves communicating about the mistake with those impacted. Your first instinct may be to delay or put off the inevitable, but that will rarely work in your favor. Instead, take a few minutes to make sure you understand the full scope and impact of the error and how you might begin to resolve it. Then bravely trudge into your supervisor's office to let them know what has occurred and, hopefully, how you plan to fix it or at least minimize the damage. Loop in colleagues and staff who need to be informed to minimize additional damage and begin the cleanup effort as soon as possible.

More than anything it is important to remember that we are all human beings who sometimes, despite our best efforts, make mistakes. How you show up professionally during this time will have an impact on how effectively you resolve the issues and how fast you bounce back in the future. Actively lead the charge in seeking solutions and communicate openly with all parties regarding the error. It is also important to remember to hold your head up. It is natural to feel embarrassed; particularly after a large and/or very public mistake. But take heart and resist the urge to succumb to shame. An even mix of confidence and humility will help get you through the rough parts while determination and collaboration will help get things back on track.

The Bright Side of Making Mistakes

There is a bright side to all of this. Every mistake we make is an opportunity to learn and become better versions of ourselves. Whether it is a big mistake that costs your company time, money, and effort, a miscommunication or tense interaction with a colleague or team member, a missed deadline or failure to complete a task or project, or something in between leaders who demonstrate resilience and view mistakes as learning opportunities are more likely to recover and thrive. Should you find yourself in a situation where you have made an error at work choose to face it head-on with courage, grace, and dignity. Own your mistake, communicate openly, and work to quickly steer yourself toward solutions. But most importantly, learn from the experience so you can prevent it from happening again.