Handling mistakes and apologising

Handling mistakes and apologising

Objectives

After the session you’ll know

how to talk about your mistakes at work

how to apologise politely

how to spot and how to avoid fake apolgies

Discuss the following questions with a partner

1 Can you think of a time when you made a mistake? How did you feel?
2 Can you think of a time when a mistake at work led to an unexpected positive outcome?
3 How do you usually respond when you realise you’ve made a mistake at work?
4 What types of mistakes do you think are the most common in the IT-industry?
5 What advice would you give to someone who is anxious about making mistakes on the job?
6 What are some examples of mistakes you’ve learnt from that changed how you approach similar situations?

With a partner make a list of the most common mistakes in the workplace.

 

Then change the partners, compare your lists and think of different ways to correct the mistakes on your lists.

Watch the clip and note the steps suggested by the speaker on how to deal with your mistakes in the workplace.

Discuss the following questions

1 Why do you think we have to apologise for our mistakes?
2 What do you consider to be the most important elementsof a sincere apology?
3 Would you say that apologizing can be difficult, especially in the workplace? Why?
4 How can we ensure our apologies are perceived as genuine, not just obligatory?
5 Is it possible to create an environment where people feel comfortable offering and accepting apologies?

Watch the clip and note
The three steps mentioned when apologising
What to avoid when apologising
How to rebuild trust after making a mistake and apologising
What are the alternatives for ‘I am sorry’

Discuss the following questions
1 What are the signs that an apology might be insincere or fake? How can you tell?
2 How do you feel when you receive a fake apology? What impact does it have on trust?
3 What is the difference between taking responsibility in an apology and shifting blame or making excuses?
4 What phrases do people usually use when their apology is insincere?Make a list.

Watch the clip and for seven signs of a fake apology. Were there any phrases from your list mentioned in the video?

Psychologists recommend several key steps to follow when making an apology
1 Express an apology: I am sorry. I am very sorry. I am terribly sorry.
2 Acknowledge the responsibility: That’s my mistake. You are right. It’s my fault.
3 Provide an explanation: I misunderstood the deadline. I misread the email.
4 Offer to fix the situation: How can I make it up to you? Let me ask the client about getting a deadline extension.
5 Assure it’ll never happen again: It’ll never happen again. I won’t make the same mistake.

Match

Match the following situations with the correct responses

• Someone was waiting for you for a long time.

• Someone is in your way.

• You spilled someone's drink.

• You interfered with your colleague's meeting.

• You were angry and shouted at your teammate.

Sorry to keep you waiting!

Excuse me, can I just pass here?

I'm terribly sorry. Can I buy ....

I am so sorry. I'll never do it again.

I apologise for being so rude.

• Sorry to keep you waiting!

• Excuse me, can I just pass here?

• I'm terribly sorry. Can I buy ....

• I am so sorry. I'll never do it again.

• I apologise for being so rude.

Useful phrases for apologies

I sincerely apologise for …

Please accept my apologies for … 

I’m sorry about …

I am so/very/terribly/really sorry.

Thanks for your patience, and I apologise for the mix-up.

Sorry about that! My bad.

Hey, that’s on me – I’ll sort it out.

My mistake! I’ll make it right.

Practise handling your mistakes and apologising in the following situations

1. You meant to reply to your friend in the office about how confusing a meeting was, but instead, you hit “Reply All” and sent it to the entire team, including the boss.

2. You confidently start singing “Happy Birthday” to a coworker…only to realize their birthday was actually last month. Turns out you misread the calendar!

3. You’re presenting a major project to clients, only to realize you’ve opened last year’s presentation with all the outdated data - and none of your current work.

4. You bring an especially fragrant leftover curry and accidentally leave the office fridge smelling like a spice market. People keep commenting on the mystery smell all day.

5. You send a formal email to the new manager, but autocorrect changes “Best regards” to “Beast regards,” which she finds strange (but thankfully, funny).