1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to handle things when you 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: make a mistake at work. Today's tip, like a few 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: other recent ones, comes from management expert Alison Green's book 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: Ask a Manager. This book covers all sorts of workplace 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: sticky situations and how to deal with them. This includes 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: major screw ups. We all like to pride ourselves on 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: our great performance, but you're going to make a mistake 10 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: at some point, Green rights, because you're human and that 11 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: is what we do. She notes that this category of 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: people who make mistakes most definitely includes her. She shares 13 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: that every high performer she has ever managed has likewise 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: royally screwed up once or twice. The important thing to know, 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: she says, is that the way you handle it can 16 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: end up being more important than the mistake itself. So 17 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: here's what you do. First, tell your boss what happened 18 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: right away. Don't put it off because you're dreading the conversation, 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: Green rights. Delaying will make things worse, partly because it 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: will send the message that you value your own comfort 21 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: over the needs of your work Second, take responsibility for 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: what happened. Don't make excuses if you act like it 23 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: wasn't a big deal or you aren't responsible for it. 24 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: This will compound the damage because now your boss will 25 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: be alarmed that your cavalier about errors or don't take 26 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: ownership of them. Green rights, Basically, if you show that 27 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: you know the situation is serious, your boss will be 28 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: in a better mindset about the mistake already because she 29 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: no longer has to convince you that it's a problem. Third, 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: briefly explain how the mistake happened. As Green notes, this 31 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: is important not only because your boss might want to 32 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: know the particularly because she'll want to know that you know. 33 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: If you don't understand how a mistake happened, it's more 34 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: likely to happen again, and both of you would like 35 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: to avoid that scenario. So finally, you need to explain 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: how you plan to ensure that it doesn't happen again. 37 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: Green writes that in a lot of cases, your boss 38 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: won't care so much about the details of your plan. 39 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: She'll just want to know that you have a plan, 40 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: that you're taking it seriously and will work to prevent 41 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: similar mistakes in the future. If you do these things, 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: you're likely to convince everyone that you're learning and growing 43 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: in your role. You're on an upward trajectory. Indeed, in 44 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: some ways, setbacks can become opportunities. You can have a 45 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: real honest chat with your manager about your performance, how 46 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: you can improve, and you can convince her that you 47 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: are responsible and trustworthy. Life is never completely charmed. Something 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: is always going to go wrong somewhere, and when the 49 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: people who work with you know that you can stay 50 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: calm and focused on solutions, they'll trust you to handle 51 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: more and more. If you've ever made a big mistake 52 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: at work, I'd love to hear about how you recovered 53 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: and turned it into an opportunity. You can email me 54 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart media dot com. In 55 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 56 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd 57 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 58 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, 59 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E 60 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: the number four then Breakfast p o D. You can 61 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at 62 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: i Heeart Media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled 63 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 64 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 65 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 66 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 67 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.