Work Slip-Ups

We’ve all wished the ground would open up and swallow us after a cringe-making mistake. But that’s small comfort when you’re left feeling like the world’s most useless, most red-faced, soon-to-be-ex employee. However, all is not lost. In fact, success coach and co-author of Your Life Only A Gazillion Times Better (Health Communications), Judy May Murphy believes that, handled properly, slip-ups can actually be a good thing. ‘When you were a child you made lots of mistakes as you tried to find the right way to do things. But every time you messed up, you learnt something important.’

The key to determining what happens next is how you respond, says Manj Weerasekera, success coach and producer of Create The Life Of Your Dreams audio CD. ‘How you apologise and what you’re apologising for determines the outcome, your credibility and work relationships.’

Of course, different mistakes call for different responses. To make sure you don’t dig an even deeper hole for yourself, we’ve identified seven of the most common office screw-ups and come up with career-saving ways to survive them.

Slip-Up #1: E-mailing the person you’re actually ranting about	Face-to-face honesty is the only way to go. And once you’re standing, humbled, in front of your unintended e-mailee, the words you choose will be vital, says Murphy. ‘Something like: “l understand I’ve damaged our relationship but I hope you can forgive me,” is far preferable to: “Well, you weren’t meant to read it.” Ideally you want them to vent their feelings so you can both move on quickly.’ Weerasekera agrees that how you deal with it is the key to success. ‘Apologise for the way they found out, not for what you said. You’re within your rights to express how you feel (provided your e-mail wasn’t an out-and-out bitchfest), but you don’t want to become known as the office back-stabber. Tell them you’d like to set some time aside to discuss the issue. Then get back to business.’
Slip-Up #2: An oversight embarrasses your boss or costs your company money
Slip-Up #3: You have a major falling-out with a client
Slip-Up #4: Your boss finds out you’ve applied for another job
Slip-Up #5: Arriving for a meeting with your skirt tucked into your underwear
Slip-Up #6: Letting an ill-advised comment slip out
Slip-Up #7: Your secret office relationship is discovered

Author: Helen McNutt