Workplace Doctor: How to bounce back from a major mistake at your job

The Workplace Doctor advises that the most successful people are defined by how they react to mistakes and setbacks.

As the manager you are supposed to get it right. But what happens when you make a poor decision? I initiated a new project that failed and cost the company some key relationships in the industry. How do I come back from that? AL, Dubai

I believe it is not just managers who feel they should always get things right. Today, most of our society feels pressured to make the right decisions. From school-aged children to new parents to the chief executive of a global company, we all feel the strain of not wanting to make a mistake and the underlying desire to please.

Unfortunately, many of us have created unrealistic views of perfection and have extremely high standards for ourselves. The effect is then much more significant when we can’t live up to it, and it can take a long time to realise that we are only human and we all make mistakes.

From a psychological perspective a poor decision will inevitably dent your self-esteem for a little while. However, this should only be a short-term blip in your well-maintained corporate reputation. Hopefully you have made enough good decisions over the years that can override this mistake. Think of it like money in the psychological bank of your co-workers. Equally, people have short memories and I am sure if you can achieve a few quick wins, the team and the organisation will be back on your side.

I am also curious about your thinking and how you have explained the situation to yourself in your own head. Even though you initiated the project, I am sure others were involved. If you hold the view as a manager that it is your job to get things right, then clearly you will bear the brunt of the burden. This is not the case for you, as other people should also be reflecting on their own performance at the same time as you. However, when you’re feeling like this, it is difficult to look back objectively.

A situation like this, if not managed appropriately, can affect our thinking like a virus and make all of our abilities seem weaker. Yet this is not an accurate assessment, but a natural distortion that occurs on an unconscious level. This thought process eats away at our motivation and makes us more risk-averse. For you, it could put you off from taking on a similar project in the future.

So how to bounce back from this? Firstly, be aware that most successful people are defined by their response to failures, mistakes and setbacks. Successes are quickly forgotten, but setbacks provide us with a huge opportunity to learn and grow.

You need to evaluate the situation from a logical standpoint and weigh up the factors within and outside of your control. Then re-evaluate your planning and ask yourself if you spent enough time thinking things through, anticipating hurdles, or if you jumped straight into execution. Similarly, did you get the right people involved, or did your ego get in the way from asking for some help? Has something like this happened before? Is it a similar pattern?

You can then review the execution and that of the project team. Did you maintain a consistent level of motivation or did other things get in the way? Did you miss something because you were overstretched or focusing your attention elsewhere? This is useful learning for you and for your team.

The last thing you must do is actively show your commitment to the organisation to make sure mistakes like this don’t happen again. Take proactive steps to move forward; if there is a course you’ve been thinking of that can improve your decision-making, maybe now is the time to take it. Be the one who spots potential failures quickly and help to create a culture where people spot mistakes early, talk about them and learn from them. Use your own struggle as the catalyst to help yourself and others.

Doctor’s prescription:

This burden of wanting to get things right can cause the best of us to crumble when things do not go as planned. Remember we all make mistakes, but what separates those who grow from them and those who shrink is what you can learn.

Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at [e-mail] for advice on any work issues.

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