Dropping the Ball

Have you ever dropped the ball at work? Of course you have. We all have. Maybe you forgot to prepare something or pass on some information. Or maybe you were supposed to be in a certain place and you weren’t. It happens. I dropped the ball last week, resulting in a coworker creating an extra blog. And afterward, I wondered if I had handled it well. According to a variety of online sources, here is the proper way to handle dropping the ball:

  1. Own it and apologize. I think my exact words were, “Oh crap! I’m sorry!” Not very professional–but we’ve all been working together for a long time.
  2. Don’t be overdramatic. Wailing and gnashing of teeth are not necessary. 
  3. Offer reparations. My version went something like this: “I will totally do an extra blog for you in the future.” But honestly, I think I need to bring my coworker some chocolate. Chocolate is kind of like currency here at The Mailbox®.
  4. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It happens to everyone. Accept that you screwed up, figure out how not to do it in the future, and then move on.

Tell me about a time when you dropped the ball. Were you successful with the four steps?


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