You Made a Big Mistake at Work. What Should You Do? (2024)

HBR Staff/Getty Images/Yijing Liu

Summary.

Here’s the thing about mistakes: Everyone makes them. But making a mistake at work doesn’t have to be career limiting. As awful as it might feel in the moment, we can take steps toregain trust, minimize damage, and mend the situation.

Be proactive. Once you are aware of the mistake you have made, try to get in front of the situation before it spirals. Being proactive about addressing whatever took place demonstrates your awareness of the problem and relieves others from the potential discomfort of bringing it to your attention.
Offer an apology. And make it genuine,acknowledging your error and the harm you caused to the other person, team, or the business.Don’t be defensive or make your apology about yourself.
Have compassion. When we have a setback at work, it can be embarrassing, and we can become excessively self-critical. Berating ourselves for something in the past, though, is not helpful.

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Everyone makes mistakes at work. Whether it’s losing your cool in a meeting or forgetting that report you were supposed to send at 3 pm, there are times when we inevitably mess up or fail. These bumps in the road are a normal part of work, but if you manage them poorly, they can reduce your level of trustworthiness and damage your reputation.