172902 Resource 149176 155860 149257 1182711726651 1183389402081 Controlled Small Business Management: Handling Employee Mistakes

Tips for managing mistakes on the job and moving forward in a positive way

When you’re a small business owner, you undoubtedly have numerous people reporting to you, whether they are your employees, vendors, freelancers or part-time workers. And with the responsibility of being a manager comes the task of dealing with mistakes. As we’ve always been told, everyone makes them. Handling the mistakes of others can be a test of your managagement skills, for sure. And if you handle them correctly, you can help your company continue to be productive without letting human error cause any major or lasting damage. As you attempt to remedy the problem at hand and deal with the people involved after a major mistake has been made, keep the following tips in mind: Keep your eye on the goal. One of the most important things to remember is that when you’re dealing with someones mistake, you want to remedy the problem and avoid any future repeats. You need the people involved to continue productivity and learn from the experience, not walk away shamed or humiliated. Know what the situation is. Research the facts before you have a sit-down with the parties involved. You don’t have to play the role of an attorney and build up a case, you just need to know what you’re dealing with. Keep an open mind and try to see the big picture. Put the person at ease. Make the person you are meeting with feel at ease, and show them that you appreciate their efforts. Treat them with respect, and help ease or reduce the anxiety level before you dive into the problem at hand. Stay focused. Focus on the specific problem or mistake, not on the person. Don’t attack and point the finger, but focus on the issue and try to depersonalize it. Let the person involved explain what happened, and be an attentive listener. Recognize if the person is accepting responsibility, or putting the blame on the shoulders of others. Gather your facts and information so you can get a clear understanding of the problem at hand. Respond accordingly. Once you’ve determined the situation and given the person involved a chance to explain, you’ll be able to see if they are accepting responsibility and moving on or taking the defensive route. You’ll be able to determine how you handle the problem based on this reaction. Build them back up. When making a mistake at work, it’s easy for an employee to feel down, defeated and deflated. This reaction isn’t good for your company or other employees. Help the employee see that this is “a bump in the road,” and feel motivated to move on with lessons learned. Make sure you vocalize your appreciation for the employee in successful areas, and show your commitment to their well-being and professional growth. The way you handle the mistakes of others can help make or break your company. Making mistakes is human, and helping those involved learn and move on can help your company remain productive and on the right track. 10 application/xml false business management employee mistakes handling employee mistakes managing mistakes mistakes on the job small business small business management tips for managing mistakes Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30; .NET CLR 1.1.4322) 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 cmalmstrom false true false false true 189572 false false true false false false true 149176 blog blogsite/FreedomVoice/web