As a professional, you always give your best at work. But at the end of the day, you are only human and just like everyone else, you too make mistakes. Mistakes, big or small, can have dire consequences if not dealt with care. The workplace mishap created by you might be unintended but it can still cause significant damage. It is your job and responsibility to make sure you deal with the disaster and place a lid on it. Here are few common mishaps and how to recover from it.
You Make A Clerical Mistake
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A clerical mistake is fairly common in every workspace. Although it is common, it is also quite embarrassing. It just shows how careless and inattentive you are. (Even if you aren’t) But, there are ways to handle it. To begin with, the first step is always the same for any mistake you make. Acceptance! Irrespective of how embarrassing it is, you need to start by accepting your mistake and the responsibility of it. Apologize to everyone involved and promise them that such a mistake will not be repeated. Do not be too hard on yourself because even the best business professionals make mistakes, you are no exception. Moving ahead, make it a habit to recheck your work twice or thrice in order to avoid such silly mistakes.
You’re Late To A Super Important Meeting
Being late to a super important meeting is another super common yet super embarrassing workplace mishap. And forget sneaking in or not coming to the meeting at all. These are no solutions. So, what do you do? First of all, calm down and realize it is not the end of this world. Do not panic and start spilling your excuses as soon as you enter the meeting. Hold on to your best senses and just say a “sorry” before taking your seat. The chances are no body will even remember it by the end of this meeting. Make sure you are very participative in the meeting to make your presence felt.
Pro tip: If you are literally running to the meeting, take a minute before entering inside. Catch your breath, wipe your sweat, set your hair, and walk in as calmly as possible.
You Are Going To Miss A Deadline
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The golden rule of deadlines is that ALWAYS adhere to it. But you somehow forgot that rule and now, you are going to miss it for sure. The good thing is that you have realized it before ACTUALLY missing it. The first thing to do is notifying your manager and apologizing. They will know about this anyway, when you miss the deadline. So it is better to accept responsibility, give honest justification without playing blame games, and also state clearly how much longer past the deadline do you need. There are going to be larger consequences for the company because of the missed deadline. Thus, give valuable inputs and solutions to any such problems caused by your mistakes. Last but not the least; take actions to improve your own time management skills.
I hope you don’t create any such workplace disaster. But if you, you now know what to do!
