A reader who made an accidental error costing her company several thousand pounds has been told by careers expert James Innes that her reputation will depend on what she does next, not just on the mistake itself.
Writing to the Jobs Guru, Kim from Caterham explained that she told her manager as soon as she realised what had happened. Nobody has shouted at her and she has not been formally disciplined, which she said is making her even more nervous.
She said she is terrified that everyone now sees her as careless or unreliable, and asked whether one expensive mistake can ruin her reputation.
What to do after an expensive error
Innes advised Kim to stop waiting for someone to shout, noting that a raised voice is hardly a reliable measure of how serious matters are. He acknowledged that a mistake costing money will concern an employer, but said her reputation will now depend at least as much on her next steps as on the original error.
He recommended telling her manager the full story promptly if she has not already done so, without softening awkward details or waiting to see whether the problem disappears. She should explain what happened, what the financial effect appears to be, and whether any of the loss can still be recovered.
He also advised turning attention to preventing a repeat performance, being honest about what caused the issue in the first place. If workload or poor procedure contributed, she should say so factually, but not use it as camouflage for her own part in the mistake.
What truly damages a reputation
Innes said most decent managers know that competent people sometimes make expensive mistakes. What truly damages a reputation, he argued, is hiding one, blaming somebody else or making the same mistake twice.
His top tip was to own the mistake, explain the facts clearly and bring a practical remedy, noting that a manager may forgive an error but concealment and excuses are much harder to overlook.
He also highlighted a revealing difference between a workplace that investigates a mistake and one that prefers to hunt for somebody to punish. A sensible employer, he said, will want to know whether the error came from carelessness, inadequate training, a weak checking process or a workload that made mistakes almost inevitable.
He advised taking responsibility for one's own part, but not volunteering to carry the blame for a broken system just because the person was the unlucky one holding the parcel when it fell apart. If several people could have spotted the problem and nobody did, the company has learned something important too.
