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For Small Mistakes in Work, Use “Oops” Instead of “Sorry”
No more sliver-lining your error, and move on with your day
Like many of you, I make small mistakes at work. Typo in an email? For sure. Hitting too fast the send button or accidentally addressing someone as “Mr.” instead of “Miss”? Happens from time to time, and I can give you all the other examples.
But one thing I insist on throughout my interaction with others — is I try to use “oops” to replace a “sorry” for small things. We are human, and we all make mistakes; We are not programmed like a computer or robots, and those flaws keep us humane.
Of course, no one wants to make stupid mistakes at work. However, when it happens, stress no more and take it as a chance to show your authentic self and vulnerability to people.
Bear in mind — this is only applicable to small mistakes. We are not talking about making a company lose millions of business or doing anything harmful to the relationship between your company and your client. It only applies to the relatively minor issue you did, for example, attaching the wrong file in an email, misspelling someone’s name, or forgetting to cc someone. You get the point.
And when it does happen, you can consider using “oops,” and it is particularly smooth in an email…
