Recovering from making a mistake

We all screw up from time to time, even me. Research shows us though, mistakes don't damage trust as much as hiding them does. The mistake is rarely the whole problem though. The real damage comes from hiding it, blaming other people, overexplaining, or pretending nobody noticed. Research on psychological safety by Amy Edmondson shows that teams actually perform better when people can admit errors, they can ask for help, and they can, you know, challenge You without fear of blame. People need evidence that you can own and repair your own mistakes. Say this: I made the wrong call on X that created Y for you. Here's what I'm going to do to fix it and to stop it happening again. It works because you're giving people 3 things. You're giving them ownership, you're talking impact, but also action. This is how you rebuild trust after a wobble. We all have them. It's called being human. If you want the words for more awkward manager conversations just like this, grab my free Say It First guide. I'll put it with this post.