As the old song says, sorry seems to be the hardest word and the worst-case scenario when we have to say the s word is at work. Apologizing to your spouse or friends for something you did that hurt their feelings is one. This happens naturally, with honesty and, usually, no fear of retaliation. However, things are not that easy when you screwed up at work and you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of the guilty party.
The bigger the mistake is and the more people it involves, the harder it becomes to apologize. You feel that the worst will happen, that your peers and boss will never look at you the same, that you may lose everything you worked for, including the respect and appreciation of the people you work with.
It is normal to feel a little bit of paranoia after you made a big mistake. Your stress level increases, and you simply can’t focus anymore. Hence, all those negative thoughts and the incapacity of thinking clearly. Yet, unless, you lead your company to bankruptcy, things are most probably not as bad as you imagine.
Before you apologize, which is something you must do after a work mistake, take a moment to reflect on your situation. First, think about what lead you to make that mistake and how your error affected and may continue to affect the company and the other people working in it.
After you’ve sorted these things out, think about practical steps you can take to make up for what you did as this is an important part that has to accompany your apology. What are your solutions: are you going to mitigate the damage by talking to your clients, re-working on your project, or simply promising that you’ll pay more attention the next time as there is nothing more you can do now.
Once you are done with the action plan, pick the right moment to say you’re sorry and the right people to say it to. Your error might affect the whole company, but that doesn’t mean you have to call a general meeting to apologize publicly. Your supervisor and the people who are directly responsible for the project or department that is directly affected are probably the only ones who should hear you out.
Don’t wait for too long to apologize. Ideally, you should say what you did immediately after the deed is done. Otherwise, your attitude might be misinterpreted for cowardice or even worse, they might think you wanted to conceal your mistake and simply pretend it didn’t happen.
Direct contact is essential especially if what you did has a big impact on your business. Simply writing an email or a text message is not sufficient as it shows you are avoiding direct confrontation and you are not willing to take accountability.
Finally, when you are face to face with the ones who deserve and have to hear your apology, don’t dwell too much on the causes of your fault. This, again, is a sign of unwillingness to take responsibility for your actions. If the cause was pure recklessness and lack of attention, you might even want to skip this topic.
Your boss doesn’t care that you can’t focus at work because your baby’s crying every two hours and you feel exhausted. He pays you to do your job correctly and to put aside your personal issues when you’re on the job. On the other hand, the one thing that interests him is how you’re going to fix the issue. Therefore, you should focus on the actionable ways that will help you find remedy.
Saying I’m sorry, either at work or in your private life is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it takes a lot of courage to admit that you were wrong. If you are honestly acknowledging what you did and that you are aware of the consequences of your facts, you will not be an outcast, but a person who is brave enough to learn from his or her own mistakes.
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