I pride myself on being the person everyone can count on for anything at anytime. I am highly organized and run my life on a color-coded planner that has every day broken down into 15 minute time slots. I make To-Do lists for every day so that not a single task goes undone.
Problem is, I'm human. This means that very, very rarely...I make a mistake and something slips through the cracks. I wish I were Superwoman, bet she doesn't forget anything.
In the public relations profession we pride ourselves on answering all the calls, drafting a release, following through with that one reporter and writing up key messages for tomorrow's press conference, all while looking fabulous and having a cheerful smile. However, we all make mistakes, sometime in our career it's bound to happen. It's what we do with our mistakes that counts.
Here are some tips for when you slip up.
1. Try not to freak out. I know it's tempting, but breathe.
2. Remember that whoever is in a position above you is human too and they've most likely forgotten something important at least once in their life before too.
3. Apologize. Collect yourself and humbly apologize.
4. Don't make excuses. My father once said, "Excuses are like belly-buttons, everybody's got em." Take responsibility for your actions.
5. Prove yourself to be a responsible and trustworthy member of the team. Trust is earned, so you'll need to work on earning yours back.
Finally, remember that professionalism and good manners count in every situation, even when the blame is on you.
