在工作中犯错时，我们很可能会感到非常难受，甚至有时为了逃避挫折感甚至想要索性换个新工作。但实际上，通过积极并妥善地应对失误，我们便能获得一次成长的机会。本文讨论如何更好地应对我们在工作中的失误。

词汇：mistakes at work 工作中的失误

That email you didn't send, the calculation you misread, the realisation that the deadline was yesterday... all followed by a sinking feeling, a quickening of the breath and the realisation that it's your fault. Fear not! Handled well, a mistake at work can become a great opportunity.

Start by owning up to it. It may be tempting to cover up a mistake, but any deception is unlikely to last for long and could delay attempts to put right the problem. And that's next – try to resolve the problems that you've created. Being proactive and coming to your manager with suggestions is likely to help you regain trust. Psychologists tell us that we tend to have a negativity bias – we are more likely to remember negative things. This is why executive coach Dina Denham Smith tells us we need to make our progress in fixing the issue clear and visible. It's also important to apologise. Showing genuine remorse demonstrates that we can take ownership of our blunders.

As well as looking at how we make amends for our mix-ups to other people, we also need to be honest with ourselves. Removing emotion is important. Shame from making a mistake can cloud our judgement when deciding how to respond. It can also affect our perception of the mistake's seriousness – it's easy to exaggerate how bad something really is. Everyone makes mistakes. What's really important is how we address them. It's important to be reflective. Consider if there's an underlying cause for the mistake, and how to prevent future slip-ups. It can also be useful to seek advice from someone who's had similar experiences in the past. Combined with our own reflections, this can be a powerful way to grow in our job and be more successful.

Academics Jasmine Virhia and Grace Lordan highlight research showing that workplaces which replace fear and blame around mistakes with opportunities for self-reflection are more psychologically safe. This allows people to learn from their mistakes, grow their skills, improve processes and ultimately productivity. Handled in the right way, by both employees and employers, mistakes can become a powerful tool for improvement.

词汇表

deadline 截止日期
sinking feeling 对即将发生的坏事的担忧和不安
quickening 加速
fault 过错，责任
own up 承认或坦白（错误）
cover up 掩盖
deception 欺骗
put right 纠正
resolve 解决
proactive 积极的，主动的
regain trust 重获信任
negativity bias 消极偏见，更倾向于关注和记忆负面的事情
remorse 悔恨，自责
take ownership 承担责任和义务
blunder 愚蠢的错误
make amends 做出弥补
mix-up 错误
cloud one's judgement 影响某人的判断
perception 认知，看法
address 处理，解决
reflective 自省的，反思的
underlying 根本的，潜在的
slip-up 失误
reflection 反思，深思

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Why is it a bad idea to cover up a mistake?

2. True or False? We are more likely to remember positive things.

3. What problems can emotions cause when thinking about mistakes?

4. What is described as a powerful way to grow?

5. What makes a workplace psychologically safe?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Trying to _______ a mistake at work could make problems worse.

cover up slip-up mix-up own up

2. It's better to be honest and _______ to your mistakes.

put right blunder own up resolve

3. The best workers are _______ in looking for solutions.

perception quickening remorse proactive

4. Thinking about our mistakes can help us find _______ problems.

underlying deception reflective address

5. Talking to others can help us _______ our mistakes.

own up slip-up put right remorse

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Why is it a bad idea to cover up a mistake?

Because any deception is unlikely to last for long and could delay attempts to put right the problem.

2. True or False? We are more likely to remember positive things.

False. We are more likely to remember negative things.

3. What problems can emotions cause when thinking about mistakes?

Shame can cloud our judgement when deciding how to respond and can lead us to exaggerate how bad a mistake is.

4. What is described as a powerful way to grow?

Advice from someone with similar experience combined with our reflections can be a powerful way to grow.

5. What makes a workplace psychologically safe?

Replacing fear and blame around mistakes with opportunities for self-reflection can make a workplace more psychologically safe.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Trying to cover up a mistake at work could make problems worse.

2. It's better to be honest and own up to your mistakes.

3. The best workers are proactive in looking for solutions.

4. Thinking about our mistakes can help us find underlying problems.

5. Talking to others can help us put right our mistakes.