Do you admit to your on-the-job mistakes? If you answered “NO,” you’re not alone.
Now more than ever, there’s so much insecurity in the workplace that employees at every level are constantly pressured to improve their performance. But making a mistake is not a sign of incompetence. After all, we are human. On the contrary, there are many benefits to admitting mistakes. It may not be easy to find the courage to do so, but it is almost always worth acknowledging errors at every level of an organization.
Some of the “best places to work” offer employees a “safety-net,” allowing them to come forward–with out fear of retaliation–if they recognize and report their foul-ups. (It’s worth noting that companies with a no-room-for-error culture stifle creativity and foster a high level of anxiety.)
Last Friday, my team and I discussed the value of admitting mistakes. I outlined our policy for dealing with mistakes at Consultnetworx. It was important to convey that our work environment is a no-blame zone and everyone should feel comfortable discussing these matters.
After sharing a few stories, we came to the conclusion that there’s more risk in covering up or passing the buck than there is in acknowledging mistakes and finding a solution to them.
Here’s a great example of this, based on a story that a staff member shared with us…
Several years ago, Erica worked for a global retail company. The marketing department produced mail order catalogs. A HUGE pricing mistake was missed. It was printed in a promotion and distributed to hundreds of thousands of customers. The error rippled through the entire organization, affecting customer service, retail, legal, distribution, etc.
Although the catalog was approved by at least 4 or 5 people before going to press, ultimately, it was the Marketing Director who took the blame. Upon recognizing the error, he did not look for the culprit. Instead, he immediately sent an email to his superiors and affected colleagues, apologizing for the error, taking full responsibility for it, stating his support and trust in his staff, outlining a solution for dealing with the immediate problem and a plan to alleviate such errors in the future.
The mess that was created by this error was ultimately forgotten, but the bold, brave apology was not. The process was improved, future mistakes were reduced and the Marketing Director, who proved his trustworthiness and problem solving abilities, is now the Chief Marketing Officer of the company.
Like it or not, we all need to admit that we’re human. There are many benefits of doing so. Accepting responsibility demonstrates our courage, sets an example to others, builds respect and enhances trust within an organization. It also illustrates a high level of control over negative situations.
Rather than playing the blame game, check out these ….
5 ways to deal with on-the-job mistakes
1) Own up to it: Communication is key. Imagine if your supervisor or leader got the details of the mistake from someone else. Would it be accurate? Could the outcome be worse? Stand up and be accountable. Those who blame others appear weak and afraid. Accepting blame gives you control of the situation and allows you to be the hero when you fix it.
2) Apologize for it: Recognize and acknowledge the specific harm your mistake may have caused. A generic, “Sorry for the mess…” just won’t do. Put yourself in your colleagues’ shoes and express the sincere understanding of the “pain” associated with your error. This will show true empathy and build character, too.
3) Understand it: Take time to reflect on every detail of the situation. If you are uncertain about any aspect of the problem, speak to others in the organization who can explain it. You can’t find a solution if you don’t know what went wrong.
4) Fix it: First, find an immediate solution to the problem. Then, implement a new process that will keep this type of mistake from happening again. Share the solution with all parties and formalize the new process by including it in a process manual or flow chart, if possible.
5) Don’t do it again: “You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it becomes a choice.”
Obviously, a mistake in the mail room is less impacful than a mistake in the operating room. However, in ALMOST every case, on-the-job mistakes have a remedy. What have you learned from making mistakes at work? What mistakes do you avoid at all costs? Have you worked in an environment where mistakes were not tolerated? Please share your experiences and insight.
I remember hearing a story about a manufacturing mistake–human error– that cost a company $100,000; when the person fessed up and begged not to be fired, the executive said, “Why would we fire you? We just spent $100,000 training you!”
Grant, as I heard it, the $100,000 story is actually an old IBM tale about a $10k screw-up and an expected dressing down from Tom Watson, founder/CEO. But aside from the dollar amount, the quote is accurate.
On point re mistakes: when I was an ad agency creative director, I had a dozen people reporting to me. In ad agencies, mistakes are unavoidable, numerous and costly. So I set up some Rules of Engagement to get everyone focused on the fix rather than the mistake:
[1] All mistakes are my fault (just say “it’s Serata’s fault) so get past the blame and remorse FAST. [2] Grab anyone close and try to fix the mistake. [3] Grab more distant people and try to fix the mistake. [4] Grab me. I’ll grab the Acct Supervisor and the President – together we’ll fix the mistake. [5] Cry in your beer later. [6] Remember: if you’re here (i.e., we hired you), you’re very good and we’re very happy to have you here. [7] Only creative directors are perfict.