Do you admit to your mistakes at work?
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11642)
United States
February 6, 2009 7:22am CST
I think I usually do. Yesterday was a prime example and I think my client was pleased that I admitted my mistake, although he wasn't happy that I'd made the mistake in the first place.
I had misplaced a form he gave me a few weeks ago. I thought I had looked everywhere for it, and I finally called him and told him I didn't have it, that he needed to find it or get a copy of it and send it to me. He insisted I had it, I insisted I didn't. Well, I was going through some of his other paperwork and I found the form I was looking for. I felt like such a fool, but I knew the right thing was to call him and tell him that I had made the mistake. He was grateful for the apology and even joked a bit about it.
Are you afraid of telling your co-workers/boss/clients that you made a mistake? I think they would have more respect for you knowing you can admit to your mistakes rather than try to cover it up.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I use to make a lot of mistakes at work and admitt them. I was the one it seemed that made the biggest mistake,
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
12 Feb 09
Oh, I've made some big ones before too, that's not fun!
@terri0824 (5203)
• United States
8 Feb 09
I have found myself making a lot more mistakes than usual and that's because we have downsized and still expected to do what we did before and pick up where the others left. And Lord forbid if someone is off for a day, it puts a kink in the whole work system. I do admit to my mistakes, and I think others understand why the mistakes are being made. But my gripe lately is others simple mistakes, that make my job harder and cause me to continue to rework things if they simply did it right the first time.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
11 Feb 09
That's got to be hard working at the same pace without all the same people. I do hope it gets back to normal soon though, you can't go at this pace for ever.
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
6 Feb 09
Yes, it does depend on the situation, you are right there!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
6 Feb 09
Hey reiny! I think that you did exactly the right thing! It
made you look better in your client's eyes by admitting that
you made a mistake. After all we are only human and things do
happen sometimes. Your admitting that you misplaced the form
and found it made you look alot more competent and honest
then if you would have tried to cover it up and lie. Lies
always have a habit of coming out anyway and that only makes
things alot worse.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
7 Feb 09
Telling one lie will usually escalate into another... Then you're in a web you can't get out of. I'd rather stay out of that predicament all together!
