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Tip 566: State any corrective action you plan to take or have taken rather than reminding someone of the problem or issue. |
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You can take the wind out of an angry person's sails by stating immediately that you have corrected a mistake or problem. In other words, move to the "punch line," the most important concern, to let others know they no longer have to fight to get the problem addressed. Once the issue is settled to their satisfaction, there is less will to continue to discuss the details or disagree over whose fault something is. The other person's primary concern is a resolution. |
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Tip 567: Explain the reasoning behind corrective actions. |
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Giving an explanation of how a mistake happened adds credibility to your corrective action. Let's say you have car trouble and take the car into the repair shop. When you return to pick up the car, you ask the mechanic what he found wrong with it. He responds, "Well, we thought it might be the starter, and put a new one on. But that didn't seem to be the problem. Then we checked the spark plugsthey were okay. We never did pinpoint exactly what was causing the problem, but it seems to be running all right now." Do you feel confident about driving that car out of the repair shop? Of course not. If the mechanic can't tell you what's wrong with it, you're not sure he has repaired it. |
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On the other hand, this explanation sounds reasonable: "I checked with our mail room about why your package did not reach you on time. And Terry said that unless packages have an 'express' tag on them, they may remain in the mail bin for two to three days when they're understaffed and can't find time to box them. Therefore, I've made the following changes in procedures so that you will receive future shipments promptly. . . ." |
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If you can't state how something happened or can't explain your reasoning when you made an error in judgment, other people cannot be sure you'll handle future situations any better. An explanation lets them know that you care enough to investigate and that you have gained insight from your investigation or reevaluation of the situation. Your explanation adds credibility for the future. |
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Tip 568: Avoid making excuses if the mistake was due to your carelessness or insensitivity. |
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When the situation is due to obvious carelessness or insensitivity, an explanation doesn't help. It sounds like an excuse. And your excuse will only |
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