If you make a mistake at work should you try to explain yourself to your boss?

Question

Once before I made a mistake I tried to explain myself he said he didnt want to hear excuses. I wonder if it is better to say nothing now, or appologize.

Gentlemen,

My apologies for any lapse in quality, perceived or otherwise. There is, as always, a reasonable explination.

Nonetheless your comments are duly noted.

Regards,
K.L.

What do you think?

I did use spell check. What word did you think was spelled incorrectly?

My boss emailed me about the mistake. But my changes were approved by QA

Answer 1

I'd leave it alone. If it hasn't been discovered yet and will have negative consequences, then you need to tell your boss. Otherwise, if they think it's something major they will come to you, and then you can apologize.

Answer 2

I would not send the above and here is why: your manager said they didn't want an excuse and this sounds like you are insisting that there is one and that his/her comments were merely noted as an after thought. Why go there?

Instead to handle mistakes like a professional 1) admit your mistake - it's the professional/grown-up thing to do and 2) at the same time you admit your mistake share what you have done or are doing to correct it. There is no reason to give background unless asked. If it was your mistake 1) you gain respect by owning up to it and 2) you show how resourceful you are in averting a crisis or at least cleaning it up.

Example: (to boss) "I discovered a typo in the brochure that went to press - it was totally my fault as I didn't catch it. However, I've already contacted the printer, corrected the mistake, worked a deal with them to alleviate as much of the charges as possible, and made sure we will still meet our print deadline with the client to deliver the brochure to them on time."

We all make mistakes - this is how I handle them --- I can't tell you how many times I've done this and actually been commended for a job well done. This is how you do it without making an excuse.

PS
Remember... running spell-check will NOT correct most grammar and punctuation errors.

Answer 3

Absolutely, if you make a mistake at work, own up to it, and the sooner the better, so that corrections can be made! You are human and are bound to make mistakes. Even your boss has made a few boners in his careeer, I'm sure. It would be a huge mistake (not to mention unethical) to merely attempt to hide a mistake.

If your boss has been unreceptive in the past (i.e., feels you are merely "making excuses."), attempt a different tactic for communicating. Of course, there are no excuses, but there may be mitigating factors (i.e., you asked someone and they gave you the incorrect information). You can't undo what you did, but you can be proactive in seeking solutions. Say something to the effect of "(boss's name), I made a mistake...." Proceed to 1) Explain the mistake made in plain English. Do not attempt to sugar-coat your mistake. 2) Explain why you think the mistake was made, if it was merely an error, if there was a system failure, etc. Do NOT attempt to assign blame here, but take responsibility. 3) Explain any actions you have taken or plan to take to mitigate the mistake. Be concrete and specific. (i.e., "I have already called the customer and I have sent updated paperwork," or "I told the system owner what the problem was and they are fixing it.") In addition, ask for some time with the boss to brainstorm what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future, for example, if a policy or procedure needs to be updated, or whether you can take a course in a specific skill set to increase your knowledge.

If your boss sees that you are taking charge and are the kind of person who is willing to admit mistakes and come up with solutions to fix and prevent them, he is bound to view you a lot more favorably than if you are the sort of person who attempts to hide mistakes and hopes he never gets caught.

Answer 4

I would leave it alone unless it is brought up by someone else.

That said, *if* I sent an email/letter I would word things differently as it does sound like you are making excuses.

I would suggest coming up with an action list of you can discuss implementing so as to avoid the "lapse in quality" in the future. That way you acknowledge making a mistake but are also taking corrective action to avoid that same mistake in the future.

Answer 5

After sixteen years in the military, I've always found that the best answer to this question is to take responsibility for your actions and offer no explanation unless it is asked for. "Yes I did it, I appologize, and it will not happen again." When asked for an explanation, the truth will always set you free, either to find a new job, or to move on to doing the job at hand. As a supervisor, I always expect the truth from my people, no matter how bad it may be, because then it is easier to deal with, there is no "BS" to sift through. Good luck.

Answer 6

I really thnk it's better to tell the truth, or at least try to, than to try to cover it up. SOMEONE will eventually figure out that it was your mistake, and without a doubt, your boss will probably be willing to listen to him/her, and it will look worse than if you'd just tried to do the right thing in the first place. You can also rest assured that he made his share of mistakes, too. He sounds like a bully/ control freak. Good luck.

Answer 7

Well, I am one to not taken any $#@! from a boss. If my bosses response was, "I don't want to hear excuses."

I would politely respond, " I am not making an excuse. I am merely explaining to you how the error occurred. This way in the future we will all know how to handle this situation."

Your boss is there to manage you but should also be there to support you and work WITH you.

Answer 8

I usually go to my boss and say, "Sorry, I screwed up" Then work on fixing the problem. Don't explain unless they ask, it only sounds like you are making excuses, or blaming someone else. My boss respects the fact that I know I'm not perfect.

Answer 9

the hardest thing a human can do is admit mistakes. it may make the situation worse by not saying that there is a problem, just ask what you can do to help fix the problem. but going into detail about how it happend makes it look like you are excusing yourself adn finding a way to justify a mistake. admit you were wrong and do what you can to fix it.

Answer 10

Honestly, if no one knows there is no need to say anything. If it was an issue you were handed you should have told your boss immediatley and worked w/ them to solve it. If they approach you and question you about a work mistake then you should do what you feel is needed. It's kind of hard to answer the best way if I don't know the exact situation... Good Luck!

Answer 11

you're able to tell precisely what happened on your boss. Your boss's opinion is the only one that concerns, so he's the only one that needs to appreciate and be satisfied. you could not fulfill anybody in a artwork ecosystem, so purely fulfill people who remember. and don't difficulty approximately it, possibilities are high, that's not the 1st time that's happened, and that's not the final.