mistakes at the workplace

Mistakes at the workplace is a common phenomenon in the workplace. The most common remedies are discussed here to rectify the Mistakes at the workplace quickly.

Everyone makes mistakes one or another day. In many situations, you can correct them or just forget about it and move on. But making a mistake at work is more dangerous as it can have a dire effect on your employer. It may risk a relationship with a customer, cause a legal problem, or put other employee’s health or safety at risk. Repercussions will eventually trickle down to you. Then, the option of correcting your mistake and moving on may not be there. When you make an error at work, your career may entirely depend on what you do next.

Here are the steps you can take:

What to do when you make mistakes at the workplace?

• Admit your mistakes

As soon as you realise that something went awry, tell your boss immediately. The only exemption is, if you make a trivial error that will not harm anyone or if you can fix it before it hurt anyone. Otherwise, don’t try to hide your slip. If you do that, you will end up looking a lot worse, and others could even blame you of a cover-up. Being upfront about it will display professionalism, a quality most employers greatly value.

• Suggest your employer a plan to correct the error

You should come up with an excellent plan to rectify your mistake and present it to your employer. Hopefully, you will be able to put plan something before you approach him, but don’t waste time if you can’t. Convince him that you are working on a solution.

Then, once you identify what you need to do, present it. Be very sharp about what you think you should do and what you anticipate the results to be. Tell your employer how long it will take to complete and about any associated costs. Ensure to have a “Plan B” ready, in case your boss shoots down “Plan A.” While making a slip is never a good thing, don’t miss the chance to demonstrate your skills for problem-solving.

• Don’t point fingers at anyone Else

There is a good possibility other people were also responsible for the error if it is a team-oriented environment. While people are usually thrilled to take credit for successes, they are hesitant to accept their own mistakes. If you can, take everyone to approach your boss together to inform him that something has gone awry.

Sadly, you might not make that happen as you may find some people who say “it’s not my fault.” It doesn’t mean you should point fingers at others, even if they do share responsibility for the error. In the end, probably, each person will be held liable for his or her own actions.

• Apologize, but don’t beat yourself up

There’s a tremendous difference between taking responsibility and beating yourself up. Admit your error but don’t berate yourself for making it, especially in public. If you keep calling attention to your mistake, that is what will stick in people’s minds.

You want your employer to focus on your progress after you made a mistake, not based on what happened in the first place. Be careful about tooting your own horn. Boasting about how you fixed things will not only call attention to your first mistake, it could foster suspicions that you have made a mistake so you could swoop in to save the day.

• If possible, correct the blunder on your own time

If you are exempt from receiving overtime pay, get to work early, stay late and spend your lunch break at your desk for as long as it takes to correct your mistake. It won’t be possible if you are a non-exempt employee since your employer will have to pay you overtime for each hour you work over 40 hours per week. You definitely don’t want to stir up more problem by causing him to violate that requirement. Otherwise, you should get permission from your boss if you have to work longer hours.