There are times in life when you wish the words that just flew out of your mouth could come back before anyone hears them. This is never worse than when it happens at work. So how do you deal with it?
Careerbuilder.om and CNN.com have an article called Uh-oh! You said that at work? exploring this very thing.
While filled with amusing examples, the article saves the tips for dealing with these situations for the end. What exactly should you do if a verbal miscue comes out of your mouth into the exactly wrong ears?
According to the article.
- Admit your mistake. If you try to hide it, you really will just bring more attention to it. Acknowledge that you made the mistake and then apologize and try to move on.
- Try to make the most of the situation. If you were caught making disparaging remarks about your boss or co-workers, use the fact that you were caught try and bring those issues out into the open. Try to turn the mistake into a chance to make things better around you.
- Don't take it all too seriously. If you have to, just make it all a joke. Everyone makes verbal mistakes and trying to laugh it off might be the best way to ease the tension and make everyone feel better.
Keeping those three simple tips in mind won't stop you from making another gaffe. However, they may help you control the damage such things cause. It doesn't have to ruin your day when your tongue trips over your own words.