6 Strategies for Maintaining Confidence After a Mistake at Work

Everyone makes mistakes in their work; this is a hard truth that everyone has to accept. But even with this knowledge, can you easily come to terms with the fact that you made a mistake at work? Probably not, and that’s completely understandable. While on probation, a blunder isn’t the end of the world for you. With this in mind, it’s crucial to understand what you should do to rebuild your confidence after an error is made at work.

We know that it may sound rather unlikely to have strategies that will prevent you from making performance-damaging errors. Yet, with those strategies in hand, you’ll be able to turn what may seem like a tragedy into something positive.

So, do you want to learn all these strategies that allow you to cope with mistakes in an entertaining manner? If the answer is yes, then continue to read this article. There are 6 simple steps to ensure that you’ll have no self-doubt throughout the process and that you’ll keep your eye on the prize.

Maintaining Confidence After a Mistake at Work: 6 Tips

1 – Solve the problem: take responsibility, apologize and find a solution

The first step is to resolve the problem that was created. When you make a mistake, it is essential to take responsibility for it, apologize to those involved, and work to resolve the situation.

This way, you will minimize the negative effects of the issue and show yourself, your colleagues and managers that you are capable of reversing the problem and have the skills to get all the locomotives back on track.

2 – Talk to your managers and colleagues about the situation to get feedback

After working through the case, do not forget to consult your colleagues and the leaders regarding the case. Request comments, engage them in a discussion about the case, and do not worry about being open; hoping that other professionals’ empathy and active listening will allow them to be accommodated and to view the case differently.

This is an exceptional opportunity to tackle the issue directly and at the same time understand new angles of it. Your colleagues may mention aspects that had not drawn your attention and were the reasons for the mistake. This will assist you in understanding your actions better and help you avoid committing similar mistakes.

However, they can also show you how you got things right during the process, explain issues that were perhaps beyond your control, and highlight positive points that emerged as a result of this crisis.

All of this can calm you down and make the “post-mistake” experience easier.

3 – Analyze the whole scenario and reflect on what led you to the error

Have you been able to talk to other professionals about the case? Now is the time to sit down with yourself to understand everything that happened.

With more calm and kindness, review your steps, see where the problems started, analyze your performance and understand why the mistake happened. This way, you will have more clarity about the nature of the error, understanding that it is just a point in your trajectory, and not a summary of your professional profile.

4 – Remember all the other times you got it right and were successful

So, be sure to remember all your other career successes. All the times you were praised, received excellent feedback, were promoted, received raises, were a role model, inspired colleagues, did impeccable work and surpassed yourself.

It can be hard to understand, right after a mistake, that it doesn’t define you professionally. However, by putting it into perspective alongside all your successes, it can be easier to absorb reality and feel lighter about the situation.

5 – Be kind to yourself and your journey

The last points should have already shown that it is not worth feeling like “the worst professional in the world” because of a mistake, right?

So, remember to be kind to yourself. As much as it may not be pleasant or cool to make mistakes, they will not define you. Your journey is about much more than just the few missteps along the way, and it deserves all the love and respect that only you can give it.

6 – See mistakes as opportunities to grow and learn more

Now that you know that mistakes are normal and no one is immune to them, how about using this experience as fuel?

Therefore, to avoid future mistakes, you can commit to learning more and growing professionally, acquiring new knowledge and skills that will strengthen your performance and reduce the chances of errors.