When sorry seems to be the hardest word

Most of us are probably able to put our hands up and admit to making a blunder of some kind at work.
Fortunately, most of us aren’t as unlucky as BBC presenters Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, whose recent very public error of judgment was discussed and agonised over for all the world to see.Mistakes are sometimes unavoidable and once you’ve made a slip-up it’s very likely you will not be able to retract it.

However, the key thing to remember is how you deal with the mistake that can help compensate for any disasters – especially in the workplace.

Whether you missed a meeting, forgot to send out a memo or made a bigger mistake that will cost your company money, the way you respond is all important.

Shrugging your shoulders and hoping the mistake will go unnoticed will get you nowhere. Acknowledging the mistake and trying to recuperate from it is far more useful in the short and longer terms.

The whole Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross debacle was made worse by the fact that neither seemed to apologise with any real sincerity when the storm first broke. Perhaps their sanctions would have been less harsh had they been a bit sorrier.

Business psychologist Michael Guttridge says it’s best to be upfront when you’ve made a blunder at work.

“The best thing you can do is own up to the mistake, apologise and promise to put it right,” he says.
“However don’t overdo the apology or personalise it. Offer to rectify the problem.”

Gutteridge says it’s also essential not to be too hard on yourself. Continuing to harp on about the error makes the whole thing more of a problem – the best thing to do is learn your lesson and move on.

Things can be more difficult when you find yourself in a situation that’s not entirely of your making.

“If someone leads you up the garden path wrongly try not to dwell on the fact it wasn’t your fault,” Gutteridge says. “Move away from the blame culture and work on what you can do to prevent getting caught up in a mistake at work again.”

Here are our top tips for dealing with work mishaps

• Admit Your Mistake: Tell your boss about your mistake immediately. It will look worse if someone else discovers it.
• Make A Recovery Plan: You must have a plan for correcting your mistake. Tell your boss how long it will take to implement your plan and if there are any costs involved.
• Don’t Blame Anyone Else: Pointing the finger won’t help anyone. Encourage those who may share responsibility to follow your lead in confessing to your boss
• Don’t Beat Yourself Up: There’s a big difference between admitting your mistake and beating yourself up about it. Take responsibility but don’t berate yourself, especially in public.
• Fix It In Your Own Time: Use your lunch hour, come into work early or stay late to do the necessary work.