5 Tips to Handle Mistakes at Work and Turn a Negative Experience into A Positive One

Have you ever made a mistake at work? If your answer is “No.”, then you are probably not telling the truth. Admit it! No one is perfect and mistakes do happen from time to time. While we are all ingrained with a fear of failure, we have something to tell you that could change your whole outlook on life…without failure, there would be no success. Everyone strives to be perfect at work and when we are not, we worry “What’s my manager going to think?” “What will my coworkers say?” “Will I be disciplined?” Often times a mistake isn’t something your manager will spend too much time thinking about. Instead they want to know how you intend to fix it. So, in order to make a good impression on your manager—make sure you right your wrongs and do so in a timely manner. Recently, more than 4,000 business professionals across the Nexxt Network of thousands of niche career sites took a poll that asked, “If you make a mistake at work, how do you usually handle it?” It’s refreshing to know that more than 92 percent of professionals said that they take ownership and make things right, but what about the other 8 percent? If you fall into the 8 percent category that either blames someone else, covers it up before someone notices, or denies responsibility—you need to grow up, start taking responsibility and read the following tips to help you be a better employee.

1. Admit that you made a mistake. As soon as you realize that you’ve made a mistake, tell your manager. Admitting that you made a mistake will show your manager that you have the confidence to own up to your mistakes which will help you gain respect in the office.
2. Tell your manager what and how it happened. While it seems like we’re all moving at 100 miles per hour, if you make a mistake you should take the time to figure out why it happened (gather the details) so you can determine how to prevent it from happening in the future.
3. Present a plan to solve the problem. Managers like nothing more than employees who take initiative. So, it’s important that you not only tell your manager what happened, but also more importantly how you are going to fix it or prevent it from happening again. Some of the best ideas or processes come as a result of mistakes.
4. Build Relationships. It is important to build relationships up and down the corporate ladder, not just with senior management that you think can help you get ahead. Again, you never know when a co-worker or professional on your project will be the next boss that will make the decision on your movement up the ladder.
5. Correct your mistake on your own time.If you make a mistake and need to take time to correct it—do so on your own time. If you need to work late or work through your lunch as a result don’t expect overtime credit to right your wrong.
6. Don’t dwell on the past. We all make mistakes, even your manager, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Learn from it, move on and become a better person.

Mistakes are inevitably going to happen in the workplace, but if you approach each mistake as an opportunity and not a defeat you’ll be surprised as to how your manager will respond. Who knows, these mistakes might even give you a reputation as an excellent problem solver or you will become your organization’s newest “go to resource”. For more career-related tips, visit our Career Resources Center.