Made a mistake at work? Here’s how to fix it in three easy steps

Mistakes happen at work every day. A message goes unanswered. Someone is left off an email. Feedback lands harsher than intended. A deadline slips. What determines whether these moments quietly erode trust—or actually strengthen it—is not whether a mistake was made, but how it’s handled afterward. Perfection isn’t the goal. Repair is. And there is a right way to repair after a mistake. AVP stands for acknowledge, validate, and plan. In order to successfully repair after a mistake, you need to acknowledge and name the mistake, validate the other person’s feelings and viewpoint, and create a plan for the specific actions you will take to prevent this mistake from occurring again. Acknowledge When you make a mistake, the temptation is to explain why you behaved the way you did. You want the other person to understand your intentions and to see that you weren’t malicious in your motivations. Even deeper than that is the desire to diffuse blame and reduce shame. Unfortunately, this is rarel