As engineers, we are people who solve problems and design things for a function or purpose.

We’re relied upon to make sound decisions for the good of the customer and our company.

With these duties, it’s inevitable that somewhere along the way you’ll make a bad decision resulting in loss of time or money (hopefully not worse) for the company, especially when you’re new.

But what’s the best way to handle your oversights tactfully and professionally?

Here’s some guidance (from an engineering manager) on what to do when you make a mistake at work.

 

Be Honest

Some people have unfortunately learned to try and cover things up when they realize that they’ve screwed up.

Sweeping things under the carpet will catch up to you, especially in engineering.

Errors almost always get flushed out as a project progresses, possibly leaving you behind schedule or over budget.

In addition, if others see that you’ve tried to cover things up and not fess up to any faults, they’ll likely think you’re negligent and unreliable.

Once you realize your oversight, be honest.

Be honest with yourself first and with the customer and bosses next.

Taking responsibility for your mistakes right away actually demonstrates leadership by showing others that you value sincerity and integrity over the easier paths of blaming other things or hoping your mistakes won’t be exposed.

It takes courage to admit to mistakes and others will respect that.

Once you acknowledge your mistake, you’ll also create a turning point and begin the process of mending things, so correcting things immediately will be much more efficient.

Remember, the outcome of the project for the customer is more important than protection of your pride.

 

Express Remorse

I witnessed a situation where an engineer made a mistake on a project costing his employer in excess of $60,000.

When he was confronted about his oversight, he seemed to blow it off as no big deal and even became defensive, trying to blame it on other circumstances.

It was clear to the company that he wasn’t serious about his responsibilities and maybe even had the expectation that the company could just easily pay for his mistakes.

Not good.

When you’re the engineer on a project, you’re in charge. 

Even if you’re not sure how exactly to lead your project, try to get some help because generally, you’re still held accountable.

The simple act of expressing remorse and saying he was truly sorry for his mistake would have gone a long way toward the company understanding it as an honest mistake and moving on to resolve the error.

Instead, he lost his job since it was clear he didn’t take responsibility or was serious about his duty as an engineer.

 

Have Some Solutions

Truly taking responsibility for your errors first comes when you’re honest about what happened and express remorse, as we’ve discussed, but then you need to take the next step.

You must follow through with attempting to resolve the problem yourself.

Bosses know that people mess up from time to time, but rarely do people have a plan for fixing it themselves.

Don’t wait or rely on your manager to fix the issue.

Once you’ve realized your mistake, immediately engage your engineering brain and start thinking about all possible ways it can be fixed in the most efficient manner.

Coming in to tell your boss you messed up, that you’re sorry, and then actually having a solution for the problem builds respect and trust for how you handle issues.

Immediately providing possible solutions exhibits responsibility, leadership, and reliability.

You also show the leaders that you are a problem solver. You can handle things if something unforeseen or out of your control goes wrong on a project, which happens from time to time as well.

 

Learn from your Mistakes

This should be a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how many engineers seem to make the same mistakes over and over.

Yes, mistakes are going to happen, but they can actually be a good thing if you’re learning from them.

Engineering is an iterative process, which means you must adjust and improve your approach after any mistakes are made.

Take a moment to analyze your mistake or failure.

What went wrong and why?

How can the error be avoided or what process can you build in to prevent it in the future?

The people that make the same mistakes over and over don’t last long in the industry; your reputation precedes itself.

 

Conclusion

Engineering is a process of problem solving and creation where mistakes are just going to happen. It’s part of the job.

Work through your mistakes and oversights more professionally and tactfully by following these tips:

• Be honest with yourself, your customers, and your bosses about what happened right away. The quicker you fix it, the less the mishap will affect your reputation and the progress of the project.
• Express remorse for your slip-up to your superiors and/or customers. Don’t just assume the company can just pay for your mistakes. Humility goes a long way toward repairing any frustrations and actually can demonstrate character and leadership.
• Take responsibility for your errors by having a plan to fix them right way.
• Be sure to learn from your mistakes, building in a system to prevent them in the future.

Everyone makes mistakes, but you can put yourself above the rest by at least being professional about how your errors are handled. In some cases, mistakes may even help you grow and develop better relationships.

This process also helps you eventually become more aware of your actions and decision making, where you’ll soon find yourself thinking ahead and making less and less errors as you progress.