We All Make Mistakes

Office professionals are human beings and therefore they are likely—no, destined—to make mistakes. Eventually, you are going to upset a client. Eventually, you are going to disappoint your boss. Eventually, you are going to botch a project or presentation. And when mistakes happen it is important to keep your cool.

Being a professional doesn’t mean that you don’t make mistakes; it means that you know how to handle mistakes. Begin by having the right attitude before mistakes arise. Know that mistakes are inevitable. Internalizing this simple fact will prepare you for when mistakes actually happen due to the fallibility of you or someone else. When a mistake arrives you greet it like an unexpected acquaintance and not an unexpected stranger whom you don’t know how to handle.

This article elaborates, “Career expert Sandra Lamb says own the mistake immediately. It has far less impact and fewer repercussions if you immediately diffuse it with an admission, and a statement of the solution (if there is one) you will be taking to correct the mistake, or a statement of what recompense you will make to make whole anyone who suffered damage.”

Office professionals who don’t expect mistakes to occur do great harm to their careers by panicking when mistakes happen. They impulsively blame others, which breaks trust with everyone. They become shocked or go into a catatonic state of denial, which underscores their lack of alacrity concerning the given job. Office professionals who know how to use the words, “I’m sorry this is my fault” know how to handle themselves, others and the mistakes we all eventually make.

Photo courtesy of Alex E. Proimos.