Part of being a professional is knowing how to respond to a big mistake at work.
Mistakes at work happen. In a perfect world, you would do everything flawlessly. You would submit deadlines on time. Include the right things in the report for your boss. And be polite and courteous to everyone you meet.
But, you’re only human, and you’re bound to slip up now and then. Micro mistakes like showing up late to a meeting or forgetting to include data on an excel sheet are understandable and easily remedied.
Things get a little more complicated, however, when the work mistake is more than just a simple typo. There are big mistakes that can impact your reputation or even your future at the company. What do you do when the work mistake is a big one?
Maybe you made a mistake that could lead to a big expense or loss for your company. Or you accidentally deleted a critical file your team spent months working on. Or you said something disrespectful to a senior colleague or were rude to a customer.
When a simple “I’m sorry” isn’t enough, how do you own up to a big mistake at work?
Fortunately, even big mistakes at work can be addressed and resolved. Below are steps you can take to respond to a big mistake at work so that you can fix the situation promptly and professionally.
Take a moment to manage your emotions
So you’ve made a big mistake at work, and now you’re overcome with so many different emotions. You’re feeling guilt, shame, embarrassment. You might even be panicking about your future at the company.
Remember to breathe and remain calm. You are not the first person at the office to have ever made a mistake. You will get through this. While you wish you could turn back time and prevent the mistake from happening in the first place, you can’t. What matters now is how you respond. And you can only respond in a productive way if your emotions are in check.
So, if you’re at the office, find a place where you can decompress for a few minutes. Maybe an empty office or even a restroom stall so that you can collect yourself in private.
Cry. Take deep breaths. Tell yourself “I’m upset but I can get through this.” Do what you have to do to release your emotions in a safe and productive way, without attracting attention from coworkers.
You’ll start to feel a little more relaxed and clear headed. Now you can address the mistake in a calm manner.
Address the work mistake as soon as you can
The next thing you’ll want to do is own up to the big mistake you made at work. You may feel like crawling under a rock, but the sooner you address the mistake, the better.
If you’re waiting to see if your manager will even notice, don’t. After all, you don’t want your boss to learn about the mistake from someone else. This can lead your boss to question your integrity and only make your initial mistake look even worse.
So don’t let your boss find out through a third party. Email or text your boss to let them know you need to speak to them about an important matter. If your boss is busy, make sure to also let their assistant know that you need to see them right away.
As for the apology itself, you don’t need a whole back story. Simply tell your manager what happened, accept full responsibility, and promise them that it won’t happen again. Don’t point fingers when you’re making an apology. You might feel like placing the blame on others, but you should be professional and take responsibility for your own mistake.
Problem solve and offer a solution
You apologized for your big work mistake. But don’t leave it at that. In addition to coming to your boss with an apology, you’ll also want to come to them with a solution.
You can’t change the mistake that you made. But you can make things right by problem solving and presenting a response plan. So before meeting with your boss, write down a list of things you can do to rectify the mistake. Select the ones that seem the most practical and effective.
When making your apology, make sure to explain how you intend to fix the mistake.
Example: I’m so sorry that I went over budget for X. I should’ve spotted this earlier and managed it better. But I will do A and B before the end of today. And I will also do C and D by the end of the week.
Conduct a debrief with yourself
Hopefully, you’re feeling a little better after talking to your boss. And maybe, thanks to your problem solving, you are on your way to resolving the situation.
When you have a moment to yourself, do a debrief to identify how exactly the mistake happened in the first place. By taking time to reflect and investigate, you’ll learn from this experience and avoid making the same mistake twice.
What could be improved? Was it a matter of poor time management or organizational skills? Or was it a communication issue? Or both?
Look at the holistic picture. It’s also a good idea to take a snapshot of your overall life. How are you feeling at home? How is your health and wellness? Are you getting enough sleep and eating well? If not, could this be contributing to your work performance? For example, if poor sleep is making you more irritable, this could impact the way you interact with coworkers or customers. By prioritizing the areas of your life that need attention, you’ll feel much better, and this will translate to the office as well.
What would you do differently next time?: Maybe you’ll consult a senior colleague before making a complex decision. Or you’ll use organizational tools to stay on the ball on a project. Or you’ll take a walk around the block instead of reacting in anger.
While it won’t feel like it at the time, a big work mistake can be a blessing in disguise. It’s a wake up call to fix processes and improve your performance. Work mistakes provide a huge learning opportunity. You’ll come out of this experience with a better understanding of your job and yourself.
Written by JiJi Lee
