URMC / Employee Assistance Program / News & Events / UR Medicine EAP Blog / May 2023 / Work Mistakes Happen Work Mistakes Happen Big mistakes can cause panic to well up inside you. Don’t panic; instead, manage them with a cool head. 1) Own up to your mistake. It is the fastest way to move forward toward finding a solution. 2) Apologize to those affected by the mistake because a sincere apology rebuilds trust. You’ll discover a nearly universal truth—that people want to forgive and move forward. 3) Understand why the mistake happened, and take time to reflect on what went wrong so you can avoid it in the future. 4) Develop a plan to fix the mistake and rectify the situation. 5) Be visible in the process of implementing the solution, and others will observe and remember how committed you are to fixing mistakes and moving forward. 6) Move on. You’ve learned from the experience. Don’t dwell on mistakes. Forgive yourself because your organization needs you back. 5/25/2023 You may also like Keeping a Psychologically Safe Workplace Your Role in Improving Workplace Communication Repairing a Workplace Relationship Work-Life Balance Is Not Just a “Nice to Have”