在工作中犯錯時，我們很可能會感到非常難受，甚至有時為瞭逃避挫折感甚至想要索性換個新工作。但實際上，通過積極並妥善地應對失誤，我們便能獲得一次成長的機會。本文討論如何更好地應對我們在工作中的失誤。
詞匯：mistakes at work 工作中的失誤
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.
詞匯表
deadline 截止日期
sinking feeling 對即將發生的壞事的擔憂和不安
quickening 加速
fault 過錯，責任
own up 承認或坦白（錯誤）
cover up 掩蓋
deception 欺騙
put right 糾正
resolve 解決
proactive 積極的，主動的
regain trust 重獲信任
negativity bias 消極偏見，更傾向於關註和記憶負面的事情
remorse 悔恨，自責
take ownership 承擔責任和義務
blunder 愚蠢的錯誤
make amends 做出彌補
mix-up 錯誤
cloud one’s judgement 影響某人的判斷
perception 認知，看法
address 處理，解決
reflective 自省的，反思的
underlying 根本的，潛在的
slip-up 失誤
reflection 反思，深思
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
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. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
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. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
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. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
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.
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