Nobody starts their day saying, “I’m going to make seven mistakes at work today”. We don’t like it when someone makes a mistake that affects us in a negative way. And I believe most people especially don’t like it when they themselves have made a mistake. We generally feel bad, guilty and embarrassed.
For starters, let’s face it. “To err is human” as the expression goes. We all make mistakes, although some more than others it seems. But there are two sides to this. One side is about how one deals with one’s own mistakes. The other part of the human equation is how one deals with the mistakes of others.
Mistakes come in different shapes and sizes. Little ones obviously don’t matter so much, but what should you do when you make a big mistake? If it’s something that can be fixed easily without any harm, then perhaps that is your best and only necessary course of action. But you should always ask yourself, “Who might be affected by this” and you should then consider informing them of any potential problems before matters get worse. If the mistake requires others be informed, waste no time! Report it as soon as possible. You’ll be looked upon with far less disdain if you immediately call attention to it rather than hoping it will just go away. If you fail to report a big mistake, you’ll then have made two mistakes, which makes things worse! Do not blame someone else. Take responsibility. Apologize! Offer to fix it or to pay for damages. Again – take responsibility! This will invite far more respect than cowardice and you may find that it will help you and others to feel better about it.
What should you do when someone else is the guilty party for having made a mistake?
In our busy and often stress-filled days, it can be easy to vent. Be careful! I mean, if you are dealing with someone who is mistake prone and doesn’t seem to care as much as they perhaps should, then it’s probably time to have a discussion with them. But don’t “fly off the handle”. If you do, you’ll be making a mistake. When you speak to them, don’t do it in front of their peers, otherwise YOU will be making a mistake. Talk to them in private. Point out that they are making too many mistakes and ask them why. And then coach them and mentor them. Make it clear that they will be expected to reduce their mistakes, but be sure to also offer to help them to improve. And if they do in fact improve, be sure to thank them and maybe even offer some kind of reward – otherwise you may be making a mistake. If they continue making too many mistakes, then you may have to take a more drastic action, but try to salvage the situation first!
We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!
For starters, let’s face it. “To err is human” as the expression goes. We all make mistakes, although some more than others it seems. But there are two sides to this. One side is about how one deals with one’s own mistakes. The other part of the human equation is how one deals with the mistakes of others.
Mistakes come in different shapes and sizes. Little ones obviously don’t matter so much, but what should you do when you make a big mistake? If it’s something that can be fixed easily without any harm, then perhaps that is your best and only necessary course of action. But you should always ask yourself, “Who might be affected by this” and you should then consider informing them of any potential problems before matters get worse. If the mistake requires others be informed, waste no time! Report it as soon as possible. You’ll be looked upon with far less disdain if you immediately call attention to it rather than hoping it will just go away. If you fail to report a big mistake, you’ll then have made two mistakes, which makes things worse! Do not blame someone else. Take responsibility. Apologize! Offer to fix it or to pay for damages. Again – take responsibility! This will invite far more respect than cowardice and you may find that it will help you and others to feel better about it.
What should you do when someone else is the guilty party for having made a mistake?
In our busy and often stress-filled days, it can be easy to vent. Be careful! I mean, if you are dealing with someone who is mistake prone and doesn’t seem to care as much as they perhaps should, then it’s probably time to have a discussion with them. But don’t “fly off the handle”. If you do, you’ll be making a mistake. When you speak to them, don’t do it in front of their peers, otherwise YOU will be making a mistake. Talk to them in private. Point out that they are making too many mistakes and ask them why. And then coach them and mentor them. Make it clear that they will be expected to reduce their mistakes, but be sure to also offer to help them to improve. And if they do in fact improve, be sure to thank them and maybe even offer some kind of reward – otherwise you may be making a mistake. If they continue making too many mistakes, then you may have to take a more drastic action, but try to salvage the situation first!
We offer short-term Certificate programs for Professional Bookkeeping, Administrative Assistant, Office Management, Office Skills, Call Center/Customer Service, Microsoft Power User and Project Management bootcamp. We also offer Securities training for those interested in passing the Series 6 or Series 7 licensing tests. Please call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn more about exciting opportunities to make your future reality a good one!
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