What To Say When You Screw Up

It’s hard to know exactly what to say when you screw up. You want to explain why it happened, to lessen the impact, and to avoid some of the guilty feelings you have.

There’s always reasons why mistakes happen or commitments go unmet, but what never changes is what you should say.

When you screw up, start with “I’m sorry” and end with “I’ll do better next time.”

No one wants excuses. What we want is to know that you care that you made a mistake and that you’re willing to take responsibility. We want to know that you’ll do your best to overcome this and deliver in the future.

Your ego wants you to defend your actions, but the rest of us need a leader who’s willing to lead even when the chips don’t fall where you want them to.


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