Dealing with Mistakes at Work

Achieving success in the workplace is, of course, in large part down to how well you do your job. But how you handle failure can also set you apart from your competitors and help you rise to the top.

Many of us are brought up to believe that making a mistake is shameful, that it is a sign of weakness. We must change this mindset, according to Stephen Harvard Davis, author of ‘Why Do 40% of Executives Fail?’.

He argues that making mistakes is a good thing and an important way of learning how to do things right. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn, he says.

How can we turn the mistakes that we all inevitably make to our advantage?

The first step is to be aware that you might fail and be prepared for it. For example, try to spot the warning signs of being given a task that you might not be able to complete. If you sense that the project will get on top of you, talk to your boss about the extra resources and skills you need to get the job done on time and within budget. You’ll gain respect for your foresight.

Be aware of common traps that can make you chances of making a mistake more likely. If, for instance, you work for a company with a long-hours culture, mistakes are more likely to happen, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

A survey carried out by the institute found that more than a third of people who work long hours say they have made significant mistakes in their jobs, compared to only a quarter of people who work shorter hours.

Don’t blame others, even if it’s not your fault. Playing the blame game means members of your team will be less loyal to you, and they may try to make you the fall guy for future cock-ups. Talk of a team failure instead, where people share the blame as a group.

Come clean about your shortcomings. Don’t simply hope that the mistake will go away by itself, and don’t try to cover it up. Bosses don’t like surprises. So, if you know there will be trouble ahead, such as a failure to meet a deadline, spell it out to your superior. Offer a solution if you can. It will show your boss that you’ve thought through the situation. You should pick up points for being a problem solver.

Don’t talk yourself down. It’s not good for team morale, and if you keep mentioning your mistakes your colleagues will start to believe you are somehow lacking. Better to apologise for something you did wrong and then forget about it.

Try and keep a sense of humour – and a sense of perspective. Failure can make us think our actions could change the course of history. Deal with a mistake and move on. If you dwell on past errors you tend to reinforce them. If you focus on what you want to achieve, you’re more likely to find a positive outcome.

Failure often provides the impetus to try something at which you might be more successful. As James Joyce once wrote: “Mistakes are the portals of discovery”. Accomplishing something new builds self-confidence and banishes the negative memories of your previous failure.

And lastly, take comfort in the thought that your failure to get a job or a promotion is rarely the result of your mistake. It’s much more likely that someone else just had more experience.

Further reading

See UK Net Guide articles on dealing with stress, and phrases describing incompetence.