Just apologize already.

 Missteps happen. Misunderstandings happen. Plain old mistakes happen – big and small. Sometimes when I suggest a client acknowledge a mess up that impacted a member of their team, the suggestion is initially dismissed with something along the lines of, “I met with them about something else, and they seem fine.”

I get it. Sometimes we just want to move forward, but in leadership if you don’t acknowledge the error and potential harm, you miss an incredible opportunity to make that foible a win for you and the person impacted, and you compound the damage of the initial mistake. When you acknowledge the issue head on you:

 1)     Send the message that messing up is okay so long as team members remain accountable 

2)     Ensure that your misstep (making an uninformed choice, communicating unprofessionally, etc.) does not set the example 

3)     Pave the way for collaboratively determining what led to the error and what the right path should be moving forward

4)     Deepen your relationship with that team member by increasing mutual understanding and honesty

5)     Make room for the possibility that the staff member is not fine and can address the unintended impact of your goof without causing further harm to your team

 Mistakes happen. Make sure apologies happen too.