How often do you make mistakes at work and how does your manager react?
Good day everyone! I recently graduated with a master’s degree and have been working at my first job for 8 months. I sometimes make mistakes due to lack of concentration or when I’m unfamiliar with a task. My boss is very detail-oriented and can be quite strict about small errors. This constant focus on minor mistakes is affecting my confidence and mood. I work in quality control and analysis, which involves lab work and admin tasks. Any tips or advice for dealing with this situation? Thanks in advance!
#mistakesatwork #managerreaction #workplacechallenges #boostconfidence #qualitycontrol #analysis #careeradvice
You’re human so you’ll make mistakes. However, knowing this you should try your best to catch your own mistakes before submitting your work. Take the time to proofread, or have a trusted colleague assist. Nothing wrong with corrective criticism, but toxic micromanagement isn’t it. If you feel that where you’re currently working isn’t good for your career or mental health seek better opportunities ASAP. It’s not worth toughing it out.
In lots of roles, small mistakes are expected and okay. That is generally not the case in quality control.
I’d check your work yourself before completing it, maybe with a checklist.
But it also sounds like you resent your boss and don’t like this job, and it might be better to look for something else.
So I’m the director in my department and I always tell my people that perfection is a bar I never measure anyone by including myself.
I guess it depends on what you do. But you are human and young you will make mistakes. Their should be a fail sage to.a viod a little mistake beco.ing a big one. Maybe she is the fail safe.
I used to drive for a living 20 years ago and back in 2004 there was a mistake of a (.) In the wrong spot at a broker house in Manhattan nyc. They ment sell 1,000,000 shares, and instead, a new broker sold 100,000,000 share. The company was not big, but the co.piter fails. They did not pick it up, and very quickly, other brokers sold and 100s millions of shares for that company and many simpler businesses. The stock market dropped 1500 pionts in less than 1 hr. My passenger was screaming at me he had to be on Wall Street in 10 mins, and I was still 45 mins away. By the time we got there, the market holted, and the mistake was found. It took about 1 more to reverse everything, and the day ended up a little bit.
I would not worry it get better.
In one of my earliest jobs, my supervisor would redline what felt like about 90% of my work and I certainly found it demoralizing. That said, my writing improved dramatically in the time that I worked for them and I benefit from that experience to that day. Given that you work in quality control, I can understand how a pretty high attention to details is important so if being asked to correct typos or other little mistakes feels ‘kinda toxic and suffocating’, you’re going to be in for a rough ride.
Every day, just sweep them under the rug.
Everyone makes mistakes. However, as someone prone to those kind of little mistakes, highly recommend developing a self review process. Once you’re done one portion of a task or a a task, pretend someone sent it to you and asked you to review it for mistakes. Double check your work, resist the urge to skim.
You’ll still make mistakes, but this reduces the risk. Start building this time in to your estimates for how long a task will take you. Think of self review as the last step of completing the task.
If you are QC/Admin then the small errors can become big ones. You need to do better and not immediately think she’s toxic or suffocating.