Surviving a Workplace “Disaster”

You’re overworked and underpaid and sooner or later, the stress, the deadlines, and the endless diet of energy drinks will cause you to make a mistake at work.  

 

Should you panic? Endure sleepless nights wondering if you’ll get the ax?  A demotion? A public reprimand? 

Hold on. All is not lost—not if you keep your head. 

Whether you missed a critical deadline, lost a report, or accidentally cc’d the boss an embarrassing email meant for your significant other, there are ways to defuse a disaster. 

Face the Music in Person

Go to your boss and admit you lost the report, left out critical data or failed to make that deadline. If you were caught bad mouthing the boss in an accidental email or while you were in the restroom or in a cubicle, “man up” and take your licks. Face to face is the only way to go here. No emails, phone calls or texting. 

Time is of the Essence

Don’t hope the problem will fix itself or go unnoticed. The longer you wait, the more your mistake will fester and grow. And the last thing you want is for the boss to find out from someone else (or God forbid, from upper management). Mistakes have a habit of growing geometrically with time. So be prompt and start your damage control ASAP.

 

Follow the Chain of Command

Whether your mistake affects your group or the entire department, start with your immediate supervisor when admitting your mistake. There are things that your boss knows about your project and the organization that you may not know. So a mistake can be fixed a number of ways without it being broadcast to the entire organization—or worse, to customers or clients. Going two or three steps above your boss to try and rectify a mistake is not a good idea. The only time you’d want to go a single level above the boss is if he or she is on vacation and the mistake is time critical. 

Don’t shift the Blame

It’s tempting but don’t blame your mistake on the copier, the phone system, the computer system or IT guy. This usually backfires and can lead to ill feelings among co-workers and possibly even termination. If someone below you made the mistake (if you’re a supervisor or manager),  you need to accept responsibility for that mistake and not hide behind your underling.

 

Learn from the Mistake

This is a critically important step. Implement any measures that will prevent you from repeating the mistake again. Show your boss the steps you’re taking to prevent the same disaster. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s what we learn from them that counts. 

Disasters happen. How you handle them can either minimize the damage or create a bigger disaster. The ball’s in your court.