ARV Connect & Grow
Start free
Subscribe
Confidence / Confidence at Work / Lesson 34
LESSON 34 · CONFIDENCE AT WORK

Handle a Mistake at Work

Thirty-two easy ways to handle a mistake at work, so it becomes a lesson and not a lasting shame.

Everyone makes mistakes. What you do next matters most.

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: Handle a mistake at work
TIP 1

Handle a mistake at work

Everyone makes mistakes at work. What shapes your reputation is how you respond. A calm sequence works well: stop, tell, fix, learn. Amy Edmondson’s research on teams shows that teams who report errors openly tend to learn and perform better.

TRY THIS
Write a four-line script: what happened, impact, fix, what I’ll change.
Photo for the tip: Stop
TIP 2

Stop

Don’t hide.

TRY THIS
Pause.
Photo for the tip: Tell early
TIP 3

Tell early

Manager.

TRY THIS
Message.
Photo for the tip: Tell clearly
TIP 4

Tell clearly

Brief.

TRY THIS
Write.
Photo for the tip: Own it
TIP 5

Own it

“I made an error.”

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Avoid blame
TIP 6

Avoid blame

Neutral.

TRY THIS
Rephrase.
Photo for the tip: Avoid excuses
TIP 7

Avoid excuses

Facts.

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

Avoid over-apologising

Once.

TRY THIS
Trim.
Photo for the tip: Offer a fix
TIP 9

Offer a fix

Plan.

TRY THIS
Propose.
Photo for the tip: Act fast
TIP 10

Act fast

Limit damage.

TRY THIS
Do it.
Photo for the tip: Inform affected people
TIP 11

Inform affected people

Honest.

TRY THIS
Notify.
Photo for the tip: Document
TIP 12

Document

What happened.

TRY THIS
Write.
Photo for the tip: Learn
TIP 13

Learn

Root cause.

TRY THIS
Reflect.
Photo for the tip: Change process
TIP 14

Change process

Prevent.

TRY THIS
Update.
Photo for the tip: Thank helpers
TIP 15

Thank helpers

Support.

TRY THIS
Say.
Photo for the tip: Forgive yourself
TIP 16

Forgive yourself

Human.

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Move on
TIP 17

Move on

Don’t ruminate.

TRY THIS
Time-limit.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a typo in a report
TIP 18

Scene: a typo in a report

Correct and resend.

TRY THIS
Fix.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a wrong number
TIP 19

Scene: a wrong number

Inform and correct.

TRY THIS
Email.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a missed deadline
TIP 20

Scene: a missed deadline

Tell and re-plan.

TRY THIS
Message.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a client error
TIP 21

Scene: a client error

Own, remedy.

TRY THIS
Call.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a security slip
TIP 22

Scene: a security slip

Report immediately.

TRY THIS
Follow policy.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a rude email
TIP 23

Scene: a rude email

Apologise.

TRY THIS
Send.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a double booking
TIP 24

Scene: a double booking

Fix and apologise.

TRY THIS
Reschedule.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a spill or damage
TIP 25

Scene: a spill or damage

Report.

TRY THIS
Tell.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a poor decision
TIP 26

Scene: a poor decision

Review and adjust.

TRY THIS
Reflect.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a public mistake
TIP 27

Scene: a public mistake

Brief acknowledgment.

TRY THIS
Say it.
Photo for the tip: Scene: repeated mistakes
TIP 28

Scene: repeated mistakes

Seek help.

TRY THIS
Ask.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a mistake by someone else
TIP 29

Scene: a mistake by someone else

Support them.

TRY THIS
Be kind.
Photo for the tip: Scene: a serious mistake
TIP 30

Scene: a serious mistake

Seek advice, support.

TRY THIS
Talk.
Photo for the tip: Scene: fear of being fired
TIP 31

Scene: fear of being fired

Honesty helps.

TRY THIS
Be open.
Photo for the tip: Scene: shame
TIP 32

Scene: shame

Share with a friend.

TRY THIS
Talk.
Photo for the tip: Scene: sleepless nights
TIP 33

Scene: sleepless nights

Write and park.

TRY THIS
Rest.
Photo for the tip: Scene: after resolution
TIP 34

Scene: after resolution

Reflect and rest.

TRY THIS
Treat yourself.
Photo for the tip: Build a safe team
TIP 35

Build a safe team

Thank reporters.

TRY THIS
Model.
Photo for the tip: Use checklists
TIP 36

Use checklists

Prevent errors.

TRY THIS
Create.
Photo for the tip: Use peer review
TIP 37

Use peer review

Second pair of eyes.

TRY THIS
Ask.
Photo for the tip: Be patient
TIP 38

Be patient

Confidence returns.

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

Seek help

Mentor, counsellor.

TRY THIS
Reach out.
Photo for the tip: Close with grace
TIP 40

Close with grace

Say, “Mistakes are how I learn.”

TRY THIS
Write it.

Easy things to say

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

OWN

“I made a mistake, and I take responsibility.”

TELL

“I wanted to let you know right away.”

FIX

“Here is my plan to fix it.”

APOLOGISE

“I am sorry for the trouble.”

LEARN

“Here is what I will do differently.”

CLOSE

“Thank you for your patience.”

Your first week

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

DAY 1
Breathe
DAY 2
Check the facts
DAY 3
Tell the right person
DAY 4
Offer a fix
DAY 5
Apologise once
DAY 6
Learn the lesson
DAY 7
Move on

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: Set a Career Goal You Believe In →

More lessons in “Confidence at Work”

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

← Previous: Mentor Someone NewerNext: Set a Career Goal You Believe In →

  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
Scroll to Top