To Err is Human…Yes, we know. It’s what we do afterwards that separates us
Oops, I done did it!
You’re going about your business, getting your work done, and suddenly the wheels stop turning, tires screech, everything comes to a halt! Oops, you made a mistake. A big one. If it had been anyone else you’d call it a colossal ball dropping one.
What do you do? Hide under your desk? Whistle a tune and make believe it never happened? Or do you own up to it?
I’ve always said that when a mistake happens I need to know WHAT, HOW, & WHO – in that order. I handle my own errors the same way.
WHAT: We can’t fix what we don’t know is broken so, as soon as a mistake is identified (hear the tires screeching??) report it to your supervisor/manager. Be clear, be concise, be honest, and be calm.
HOW: This one is two-pronged –
1) You need to backtrack here. The how is an important step in figuring out what caused the issue in order to avoid it in the future. Ask yourself some tough questions and list your answers. Every problem has its roots somewhere; figure out the reason for this one.
2) How are you going to fix it? Before you make your way to your manager’s office to tell him/her about the WHAT part you need to have a clear plan of the necessary steps to correct it. Is it a simple do-over? Will you need additional resources? Are there any costs involved?
WHO: This is NOT a finger pointing exercise so you minimize the consequences for you. No, this one is for the supervisors out there. The WHO factor becomes important in order to determine if a) you need to retrain/coach your employee or b) you have a recurring offender. If you know that 4 out of 5 times when something goes wrong it’s the same person involved then you have a bigger problem on your hands and will need to decide on a course of action.
Care to share how you handled a mistake you made at work? How about how some of your team mates dealt with theirs?
I want to hear all about it. The good, the bad and the really bad!
Monica F
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