Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • Educational Assets
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Three Steps to Acknowledging Your Mistakes

By R&D Editors | March 30, 2010

You’ve made a mistake at work. It’s visible, consequential, and embarrassing. Here’s the good news: It’s a chance to prove you’re a leader.

The way you respond to a mistake reveals much about your makeup. If you hide, deny or shuffle responsibility onto others, you sabotage your reputation. But by acknowledging what went wrong and your role in it, you command respect.

“When you as a manager make a mistake, you’re the role model for your employees,” said Bette Price, president of the Price Group, a management consulting firm in Dallas. “If you deal with it in a straightforward manner, it solidifies trust among your team and humanizes you to your employees.” 

Effective leaders not only explain what happened and why, but also volunteer what steps they’re taking to correct the mistake. This shows they learned a lesson and will apply it going forward. When Price counsels managers to admit their errors, she guides them to address the mishap in three steps.

  1.  First, she instructs them to say: “Here’s what happened …”
  2. After summarizing faulty decisions that they made, managers should declare: “I’m accountable for this.” With this statement, you assure listeners that you don’t expect a free pass.
  3. The final step is to extract a lesson for the future, Price says. The manager might add, “I’m sharing this with you so that we can all learn from my mistake.”

 

“When you say all of these things in a sincere voice tone, you come across as a strong leader,” Price said. “By being candid, you improve morale and establish trust.”

If you’re tempted to acknowledge your mistake in writing, think again. Even if you confront the situation head-on, include all the details and apologize, your memo may fall flat because “you lose the sincerity that comes through with your voice,” Price says.

Above all, don’t make excuses. State the facts without editorializing. “You’ll appear defensive if you start giving excuses,” Price warned. You’ll also signal to employees that you accept excuses. The next time they mess up, they’ll follow your lead and spread blame around. If you want all your workers to hear the same message, discuss your mistake at a staff meeting. While it’s often uncomfortable to admit error in front of a group, the benefit of addressing it in an open forum can help you move past it.

Source: Morey Stettner

Related Articles Read More >

6 essentials for seismic rated cleanrooms
Critical Spaces Control Platform
Phoenix Critical Spaces Control Platform uses automation to direct airflow
Endiatx
Endiatx aims to boldly go beyond traditional endoscopy and, eventually, redefine surgical scale
FMN Laboratory researcher in a cleanroom
Take our quiz to test your cleanroom IQ, covering everything from ISO Classes to ULPA filtration
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • Educational Assets
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE