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Confidence / Confidence at Work / Lesson 06
LESSON 06 · CONFIDENCE AT WORK

Recover From a Bad Answer

Thirty-two easy ways to recover from a bad answer, so one slip does not ruin your interview.

Everyone fumbles sometimes. Recovery impresses people.

40 tipsEasy things to say7-day plan
Start with tip 1
Jump to the 7-day plan

40 tips that really help

These ideas come from Lean In (Sheryl Sandberg), The Confidence Code (Katty Kay and Claire Shipman), Never Split the Difference (Chris Voss), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.

Photo for the tip: Recover from a bad answer
TIP 1

Recover from a bad answer

Everyone gives a poor answer sometimes. What matters is how you recover. A calm pause, a short correction and a smile can turn a stumble into proof of composure. Interviewers often remember recovery more than the slip.

TRY THIS
Practise the line: “May I add something to my earlier answer?”
Photo for the tip: Pause
TIP 2

Pause

Breathe.

TRY THIS
Exhale.
Photo for the tip: Don't panic
TIP 3

Don't panic

One answer isn’t everything.

TRY THIS
Remind yourself.
Photo for the tip: Say "Let me rephrase"
TIP 4

Say "Let me rephrase"

Simple.

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Say "May I return to that?"
TIP 5

Say "May I return to that?"

Later.

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Say "That didn't come out right"
TIP 6

Say "That didn't come out right"

Honest.

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Give the better answer
TIP 7

Give the better answer

Short.

TRY THIS
Prepare.
Photo for the tip: Avoid over-apologising
TIP 8

Avoid over-apologising

Once.

TRY THIS
Skip.
Photo for the tip: Avoid freezing
TIP 9

Avoid freezing

Speak.

TRY THIS
Start anywhere.
Photo for the tip: Avoid blaming
TIP 10

Avoid blaming

Yourself or them.

TRY THIS
Stay neutral.
Photo for the tip: Avoid joking nervously
TIP 11

Avoid joking nervously

Light only.

TRY THIS
Pause.
Photo for the tip: Ask for a moment
TIP 12

Ask for a moment

“Let me think.”

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Ask for the question again
TIP 13

Ask for the question again

“Could you repeat that?”

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Ask a clarifying question
TIP 14

Ask a clarifying question

“Do you mean X?”

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Use a bridging phrase
TIP 15

Use a bridging phrase

“What I meant was…”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Use your notes
TIP 16

Use your notes

If allowed.

TRY THIS
Glance.
Photo for the tip: Use a sip of water
TIP 17

Use a sip of water

Time to think.

TRY THIS
Drink.
Photo for the tip: Use body language
TIP 18

Use body language

Stay open.

TRY THIS
Check.
Photo for the tip: Scene: your mind goes blank
TIP 19

Scene: your mind goes blank

Pause, breathe, “Let me think for a moment.”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you said something wrong
TIP 20

Scene: you said something wrong

“Correction: …”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you rambled
TIP 21

Scene: you rambled

“To sum up…”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you didn't know
TIP 22

Scene: you didn't know

“I don’t know, and here’s how I’d find out.”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you misheard
TIP 23

Scene: you misheard

“Sorry, could you repeat?”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you spoke too negatively
TIP 24

Scene: you spoke too negatively

“Let me reframe that positively.”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you were too short
TIP 25

Scene: you were too short

“I can add an example.”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: you were too long
TIP 26

Scene: you were too long

“Let me be brief.”

TRY THIS
Practise.
Photo for the tip: Scene: technical glitch
TIP 27

Scene: technical glitch

Stay calm; reconnect.

TRY THIS
Prepare.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a spill or accident
TIP 28

Scene: a spill or accident

Laugh lightly.

TRY THIS
Move on.
Photo for the tip: After the interview
TIP 29

After the interview

Reflect, don’t ruminate.

TRY THIS
Write notes.
Photo for the tip: Send the thank-you note
TIP 30

Send the thank-you note

Add a clarification.

TRY THIS
Draft.
Photo for the tip: Mention the improved answer
TIP 31

Mention the improved answer

Briefly.

TRY THIS
Include.
Photo for the tip: Learn from it
TIP 32

Learn from it

Prepare for next time.

TRY THIS
Note.
Photo for the tip: Share with a friend
TIP 33

Share with a friend

Humour helps.

TRY THIS
Tell.
Photo for the tip: Reward yourself
TIP 34

Reward yourself

You did it.

TRY THIS
Treat.
Photo for the tip: Remember others forget
TIP 35

Remember others forget

They have many candidates.

TRY THIS
Relax.
Photo for the tip: Remember it's human
TIP 36

Remember it's human

Mistakes show you’re real.

TRY THIS
Smile.
Photo for the tip: Be kind to yourself
TIP 37

Be kind to yourself

Always.

TRY THIS
Say a kind sentence.
Photo for the tip: Be patient
TIP 38

Be patient

It gets easier.

TRY THIS
Keep going.
Photo for the tip: Celebrate
TIP 39

Celebrate

Recovery is a skill.

TRY THIS
Mark it.
Photo for the tip: Close with calm
TIP 40

Close with calm

Say, “I can recover.”

TRY THIS
Write it.

Easy things to say

When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.

PAUSE

“May I take a moment?”

RESET

“Let me try that again more clearly.”

OWN

“That did not come out well.”

FIX

“What I meant was this.”

THANK

“Thank you for your patience.”

CLOSE

“I appreciate the chance to clarify.”

Your first week

One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.

DAY 1
Stay calm
DAY 2
Pause and breathe
DAY 3
Say you will try again
DAY 4
Give a clearer answer
DAY 5
Move on
DAY 6
Do not apologise a lot
DAY 7
Learn afterwards

Further reading

  • Lean In (Sheryl Sandberg)
  • The Confidence Code (Katty Kay and Claire Shipman)
  • Never Split the Difference (Chris Voss)

The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.

← All Confidence at Work lessons
Next lesson: Follow Up With a Winning Note →

More lessons in “Confidence at Work”

Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.

← Previous: Talk About Your Strengths Without BraggingNext: Follow Up With a Winning Note →

  1. Prepare Your Three Stories
  2. Answer "Tell Me About Yourself" Well
  3. Handle the Question You Fear
  4. Ask Great Questions Back
  5. Talk About Your Strengths Without Bragging
  6. Recover From a Bad Answer
  7. Follow Up With a Winning Note
  8. Speak in the First Ten Minutes
  9. Prepare One Point Before Every Meeting
  10. Disagree With a Colleague Kindly
  11. Handle Being Interrupted
  12. Share Credit and Claim Yours
  13. Speak Up in a Big Group
  14. Look Confident in Video Meetings
  15. Ask for Feedback Regularly
  16. Receive Criticism Without Crumbling
  17. Ask for a Raise With Evidence
  18. Share Ideas Without Fear
  19. Say No to Extra Work Politely
  20. Report Problems Early
  21. Show Your Value Every Month
  22. Introduce Yourself in a New Team
  23. Make Friends at Work
  24. Ask for Help Without Shame
  25. Handle a Difficult Colleague
  26. Stop Being the Office Pushover
  27. Celebrate Others and Be Celebrated
  28. Build Your Reputation Quietly
  29. Take on a Stretch Project
  30. Overcome Impostor Syndrome
  31. Lead Without a Title
  32. Give Your First Presentation
  33. Mentor Someone Newer
  34. Handle a Mistake at Work
  35. Set a Career Goal You Believe In
  36. Learn One New Skill Every Quarter
  37. Network Without Feeling Fake
  38. Say Yes to Opportunities That Scare You
  39. Protect Your Energy and Balance
  40. Your Confidence at Work Plan
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