So You Screwed Up at Work

Welcome to Career Advise, the newsletter providing career advice, how-tos, and life musings through an optimistic and intriguing lens.

Each week, you will receive two newsletters written by the Oppstartr Team. Mondays — Our career-focused newsletter. Fridays — Out of Office where we discuss life and other thought-provoking ideas.

Today’s Pillar: Navigate the Gray

We are all human. We are going to mess something up in our professional lives. It is not a matter of “if” but rather “when.”

Often, when we acknowledge our humanity as the reason behind our mistakes, it can become a cop-out not to take things seriously or give our best effort. That is flat wrong. While we must strive to do our best and take preventive measures, mistakes in the workplace are inevitable. So, how do we navigate them?

A brief story:

In a past role, I was tasked with preparing data for a sales pitch. I had been given the raw data and had prepared it in the normal manner. Fast forward to the day of the sales pitch, which was going well, I realized (mind you, halfway through the meeting) I used the wrong data! Following the meeting, I had to tell my coworkers and the client that I had used the wrong data, and of course, the corrected data made the figures look worse… “Am I going to be fired? Are we going to lose this client?” These thoughts raced through my mind.

Neither happened.

Takeaways:

• Always double-check your work: If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.

• Be honest: Do not try and hide the mistakes. They always come to light. It’s best to be forthright.

• Have some humility: These situations have a way of knocking you off your high horse.

• Show mercy: We should all be willing to give leniency to those around us since someone has shown it to us.

• Learn from your mistakes: What processes or lessons can you apply from the event going forward so that it doesn’t happen again?

• Life goes on: It’s probably not the worst thing ever. You’ll be fine, and the sun will rise again tomorrow.

Remember, you will make mistakes. It is what you do after those mistakes that will make you a great professional.

Thank you for reading Career Advise. Be sure to read our upcoming Out of Office issue on Friday.

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