How to Recover After Making a Huge Mistake at Work

Just like any job, being a virtual assistant has its challenges. Even in an online job, you must always keep in mind that highs and lows are inevitable. If ever you find yourself committing a huge mistake at work, don’t despair. There are ways to make a comeback. A fair warning though, making a turn around after a mistake takes guts, humility and sincerity. After all, everybody makes mistakes. What really matters, in the end, is the ability to learn and grow from them. Here are some tips on how to make a comeback after a huge mistake at work:

1. Acknowledge your mistake right away.

   Work-at-home jobs may have a different work dynamic compared to an office setup, but honesty and integrity are still core values that are expected from every employee in the virtual assistant industry. The first step to diffuse the aftereffects of a mistake is to come clean and acknowledge the wrongdoing that was made. This will take guts, but you have to be the bigger person in this situation. Own up to your mistakes and be an adult about it.

2. Explain your side of the story.

   Explaining what really happened does not mean making up excuses. This is your chance to clearly state the misunderstanding or confusion on your part that caused these mistakes. Take note that home-based jobs may differ from an office setup in terms of how things are handled. Your immediate client might want to speak to you directly or choose to course this action through the HR of your agency usually through a letter of explanation or through a Skype meeting. Whatever the case, you must try to be professional, rational and honest when explaining your side of the story.

3. Apologize immediately.

   It is said that the true sign of humility is when a person is able to apologize sincerely and without hesitation. Saying sorry doesn’t only signify humility, it also implies that you are mature enough to own up to your mistakes. Some employees tend to not admit their mistakes with grace in hopes of not looking bad in the eyes of their coworkers. They try to mask or play it cool so the attention is diverted as soon as possible. This kind of passive-aggressive behavior can only make you look worse because this is a sign of a huge ego. Simply put, just apologize as soon as you admit your mistakes.
   

4. Make things right.

   It is very tempting to just quit and look at other job opportunities because of the shame that you are feeling. However, the responsible thing to do is to work on a solution to the problem that you have caused. Show your clients that you value them by truly turning things around and making an effort to see that the situation improves.

5. Rebuild trust once again.

   Lastly, work on rebuilding the trust of your client. This is not an easy feat because it will require time and consistent effort. You can do this by being more proactive in your client’s business endeavors and by volunteering your ideas. A little goes a long way, and in due time, you just might win back your client’s trust. A sincere gesture will always be appreciated.

Making mistakes is part of career growth. You’re not expected to be perfect. However, you must always be open to constructive criticism from your superiors.

Learning from these scenarios will help you thrive in the virtual assistant industry in a multitude of ways thus making you more experienced and capable of handling difficult clients. After the chaos has died down, forgive yourself and try not to be too hard on yourself. Think of it as a learning curve and remember that it happens to the best of us.

Next: Empathy: Why it’s an Essential Skill?

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