(Newswire.net — March 24, 2016) — The boss just called: Your department is in big trouble because someone sent an email to the wrong client. Now the company’s brand is threatened and your job could be on the line. What do you do?
Businesses make mistakes all the time. You’ve heard about some of the more famous ones, like Blockbuster failing to purchase Netflix, a move that ultimately drove it out of business, or Excite failing to purchase Google in 1999.
Today, if you ask anyone under 20 if they’ve heard of Blockbuster or Excite, they just might say no because those companies’ mistakes ended their reign and they disappeared into history.
Other business goofs don’t have such drastic consequences. Blockbuster was offered the opportunity to purchase Netflix multiple times, but because the owners didn’t recognize their original oversight, they never rectified it.
Just remember that everyone faces crises in business. It’s the ones who are alert enough to recover gracefully that survive. Here are some of the ways you can do this.
1. Put Safeguards on Your Email
Communication mistakes account for the majority of screw-ups that occur within a business context, particularly those involving email. It’s vital not only to correct a mistake someone in your organization has made but also to prevent such an error from happening again.
You can do this by placing certain safeguards on your email system. Sending sensitive data to the wrong party, for example, is extremely common. HIPAA violations and data breaches occur every day, but they’re primarily attributable to user errors.
Having the ability to recall a mistakenly sent email that contains sensitive data would be an excellent safeguard if you wish to avoid future damage.
2. Take Preemptive Action in Other Areas
Mistakes through email are the most common, but other areas may benefit from a little preventive action. For example, it’s tempting to submit a project early — before the deadline — just to get it out of the way if not to impress a client, but that could be your undoing.
Instead, it would be wiser to take that extra time to add finishing touches and look for mistakes that could cost your firm the project and the client’s further business. Enact policies and procedures that will prevent situations just like this from occurring in your organization in the future.
3. Make Appropriate Apologies
Any time you discover a mistake in the workplace setting, an apology will typically be in order. But it’s essential to make your apology in an appropriate manner.
In some instances, a simple email apology will suffice. In other instances, you’ll need to make a more formal written apology. When you’ve really messed up, only an in-person apology will suffice, possibly with an invitation to lunch and even a press conference if there are public ramifications.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t over-apologize. Studies have shown that when people make major mistakes, they can apologize too effusively and too long, which can be even more annoying than ignoring the issue.
This doesn’t help to rectify the situation. In fact, it risks undermining your authority and hindering your ability to perform your job well. In most cases, a single, straightforward apology that says “we’re all adults here, and we acknowledge what we have done” will be enough.
4. Focus on the Solutions
In many cases, your mistake can’t be undone. There’s nothing left to do at that point but look for a solution. After you’ve made your apology, demonstrate that you’ve learned from your mistakes and are ready to move on by working with your team to repair the situation. This shows maturity and an ability to control a situation that temporarily went off the rails — a capability that many leaders fail to demonstrate.
5. Limit Your Excuses
It’s okay to state a explanation for the problem, if it’s constructive. For example, if a personal situation has interfered with a deadline, share your excuse with the relevant parties if you need to ask for more time.
In other cases, the excuse will more likely demonstrate you’re not able to take criticism. It shows a lack of sufficient maturity for a leadership position, and can undermine your authority. Instead of focusing on excuses, emphasize what your team intends to do about the error.
6. Accept, and Possibly Even Invite, Feedback
After the crisis has been brought under control, it’s appropriate to ask for feedback on your performance. Admitting that you made a mistake and can use guidance doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t do your job.
Rather, it shows a level of investment in your position and in the growth of the company.
7. Don’t Do It Again
It’s true that you can recover when you mess up, but if you make the same mistake more than once, there will be less forgiveness every time you do. A good entrepreneur takes full opportunity to learn from a mistake so he or she doesn’t repeat any errors.