Success!Ezine
Volume 5 Issue 9-- September 2007
DrCarolWebster.com
Copyright 2007   All Rights Reserved

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E. Carol Webster, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in consulting practice in Fort Lauderdale, FL . Feel free to call or e-mail for more information.

Make a beeline to your boss’ office and report what happened. It does you no good to try hide out as if nothing happened and it certainly will be unbecoming professionally to try to blame others. Coming up with lame excuses or trying to fast talk your way out of things also makes you look bad. Own up. Take responsibility for what happened. Try to explain yourself as best you can. People rarely mean to make a mistake intentionally, so focus on what you intended – no matter that you overlooked some detail or did something incorrectly so that a mistake was made. Fortunately, many companies today are trying to create a healthy workplace that avoids the “blame game” so that employees will execute tasks with greater initiative, creativity and innovation. They understand that sometimes you may go too far too fast, but rarely is this the end of the world, so most will not despair-–but be prepared for the fact that they won’t like having a new problem to contend with.

Since you created the problem, immediately do all that you can to correct it. Ask for direction about the best course of corrective action and offer your opinions and suggestions about the best remedy. After all, you probably know more about the task or project than your manager but he or she is likely to have a better grasp of the impact on the players involved and the wide reaching implications of the blunder. While fixing the problem will probably whip a lot of people in the organization up and into action, the primary person coming in early, staying up late, and running around should be you. Be as helpful as you can until things are made right.

While it’s not necessary to tell the whole world about your mistake, be sure to apologize to those who are most affected by it. Lots of extra time, staff, and resources are expended to fix or minimize the actual or potential damages caused by mistakes in an organization. So, it’s important for you to show good character and express remorse for the cost of your error and any inconvenience caused to others. Yes, you feel ashamed and are hoping that it will all go away. But it won’t, so keep things from getting worse by proving yourself to be the true professional that you are.

 It’s no fun to make a mistake. But it’s not the end of the world, either, so take a deep breath and deal with it immediately so that you can restore your reputation. Most workplaces are so hectic that people will soon move on to other business and you will quickly have new opportunities to redeem yourself. Don’t be sensitive if mention is made of the past error. It probably will come up from time to time. Learn from it so that you don’t make the same mistake again. Take care to double check your work, seek consultation if you’re unsure about something, and the quality of work that you are otherwise known for will shine through once again.

  About the Author: 
Dr. E. Carol Webster is a clinical psychologist in consulting practice in Fort Lauderdale, FL and is author of 
Success Management: How to Get to the Top and Keep Your Sanity Once You Get There and The Fear of Success: Stop It From Stopping You!

Ask Dr. Webster...

Dear Dr. Webster: My boss is a total embarrassment. He always looks like something the cat dragged in but is constantly looking for attention and does the dumbest things. He doesn’t know how to treat people and our department always has to make excuses for his behavior. He’s a laughing stock here and even outside the company and no one knows how to handle this. I love my job and have no interest in quitting, but this is hard to put up with. Any suggestions?

-- Bozo for a Boss?

Bozo for a Boss: Your problem is found in many workplaces across America, so take comfort in knowing that plenty of folks understand what you’re going through. But it’s important to understand that, while your boss’ behavior is a problem, it’s his problem – not yours. He is making a fool of himself and, by extension, causes a loss in stature for you, your colleagues and your department. But – you are not responsible for this nor can you do much about it directly. Your boss’ manager is not managing and is allowing behavior to go unchecked that reflects negatively on you as well as the company at large. Typically, this behavior has been evident since the day the person was hired and only gets worse as the individual faces the increased stresses and strains of the job.

 When asked, seize every opportunity to request that executive coaching, professional development or training in “professionalism” be made available to your department. Use the company Suggestion Box to recommend this too. Be frank on 360° evaluations when asked to rate your boss’ behavior. But steer clear of personal attacks or efforts to “scold” your boss. This is not your job. Nor is it your responsibility to serve as his job coach or a therapist. He will have to come to the conclusion that he needs help. Negative consequences on the job and in life usually facilitate this.  So, in the meantime, when possible and without violating protocol, try to limit or contain his visible involvement in activities that are important to the success of your employment, so that any damage his appearance and behavior might do are minimized.

  --Dr. Webster

Got a Question?

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Success Motivator

Be responsible for our actions,
and take responsible actions.

-- Haki Madhubuti

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Success!Ezine
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology Consulting
DrCarolWebster.com
954.797.9766
Success!Ezine@DrCarolWebster.com