Making mistakes at work is not the end of the world, the problem comes when you’re unsure of how to manage them. In one of my favourite quotes, Robert Kiyosaki perfectly sums up what it means to make a mistake: “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn”.
If managing mistakes at work is something new to you, we’ve got some tips on how to see your mistakes as something positive and productive!
5 ways to learn from your mistakes and move on
Recognise the mistake and learn from it! We’re expected to be honest at work, not perfect. Managing a mistake is a key moment for showing our honesty and capacity for reaction. Assuming our blame for the mistake (not stepping up an admitting the mistake is like using petrol to put out a fire), detecting its origin and assessing the consequences will help us to deal with the obstacle.
Find solutions and if necessary, help. If we simply report the mistake, we send this message: “I put my foot in the mess but I don’t know how to clean it up. Let someone else come and solve it.” This doesn’t say a lot about our emotional intelligence. To the contrary, if we report a mistake and we propose duly-researched solutions, we are showing our capacity for assuming responsibilities and adapting to unexpected circumstances.
