continue...

For the employer, this may involve making changes to working arrangements, restructuring the employee’s job position, making changes to the teams and/or clients they work on and providing access to a mentoring or executive coaching program. As a manager, while it is important to educate the team member on how he or she could have avoided making the mistake, do not allow emotions or your feelings to show. Your employee is undoubtedly feeling very upset about the situation and raising your voice or showing your exasperation will not result in any form of constructive learning.

The same can be said for letting a mistake slide. Doing so creates a culture in which underachievement is acceptable. Team members, management and underperformers, all stand to lose in this situation. But bringing an errant staff member back to their full potential and confidence will build your credibility and draw respect from other staff. Everyone wants to have a manager who “takes action” rather than one who sits and hopes that problems will go away. Doing so also means you will not lose the valuable experience of the employee or be forced into a prolonged and costly recruitment process. It also sends a clear message that you are willing to invest in your staff rather than simply letting them go when the going gets tough.

An employer can do everything to help up to a point, but ultimately it is in the employee’s hands. For the employee, a commitment towards making necessary changes is essential. This means accepting the employer’s suggestions for change and initiating ideas for improvements. Possible options could be participating in professional courses or programs and writing down your own plan for self-improvement.

One avenue gaining popularity and momentum is executive coaching. Many people seek coaches to improve other aspects of life or pursuits such as sport, music or acting. So why not do the same when it comes to career counseling? Like any coach, executive coaches analyse your abilities and strengths and work closely to keep your career in shape. Coaches help you unlock your potential, and focus time, talents and energy on achieving important goals.

Mistakes in the office are common enough and are all part of your learning process. With the right attitude and response, you can move on from this dark patch and turn a negative into your positive.