Soul Proprietor - How to recover when you screw up royally

In every business, there is always risk of failure. A client isn’t happy with the service, you don’t mesh, you make a mistake, stuff doesn’t get delivered on time. We’re human.

That’s okay.

No one is perfect every day.

But what about when the failure is epic? I’m talking the kind of failboat that feels Titanic-to-the-iceberg crashing.

Like when you cross a legal line and get caught.

Or when don’t deliver something you promised…at all.

Or when you hire someone and then stiff them – and they tell everyone.

Or when you get caught plagiarizing someone else’s work…publicly.

Or maybe that time you say something offensive online and get hammered for it.

Ouch.

How can you recover when you do something so bad that you’re now a pariah in your industry?

Step back. Take a break from everything to gather your self.
Take full responsibility – immediately. Accept what you’ve done. Own it. Admitting you were wrong is the first step in healing – both you and the damage done.
No excuses, no ego. Which means: do not blame others, play martyr or get indignant. This will piss people off. Also, resist the urge to get into flame wars, power plays, or any such thing. It’s not going to help your image.
Apologize to those you wronged in private. Issue a sincere public apology too. Let people know that you’re sorry.
Rectify the situation. Depending on what the situation is, that could be anything from paying a debt owed, to charitable work, or, in some cases, doing time.
If the damage is too great, if your reputation has taken such a hit that you cannot possibly dig your way out of it, consider going in a new direction. Pivot. Sometimes it’s better to start fresh.
Most importantly, practice extreme self-care. When you’ve biffed it, it’s all too easy to wallow in feeling like a schmuck, even after you’ve done your best to make things right. Remember: you’re not infallible. No one is. Give yourself as much compassion as you can – and get support.
Lastly, forgive yourself and learn from your mistake.

People can recover and thrive even if they’ve screwed up. For example, look at Martha Stewart. The woman went to prison for insider trading – but emerged with her head held high and seems to be doing better than ever!

She took responsibility, was apologetic, and did her time. She’s a badass!

We all make mistakes but those mistakes needn’t define us. You always have the power to choose your response. Let that response be one of humility and integrity so that you can move forward, learn, and grow from the experience.

Blessings,

Theresa