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Mea Culpa—I Screwed Up!
How to Recover from a Major Goof-Up!
I screwed up!
—President Barack Obama, three weeks into his presidency, taking the blame hours after former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle withdrew his name for a cabinet post due to tax problems
Dear Nan:
Help! I’ve really screwed up at work. Fortunately, my boss is willing to give me a second chance, although I feel her watching me constantly. My coworkers, however, two of whom I supervise, appear less supportive, and I’m afraid I’ve lost their respect. My self-confidence as a professional has plummeted. Logically, I know I am probably not the only one this has ever happened to, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. It’s very stressful to even go in to work. I probably need to look for another job, but who’s going to hire a loser like me? How can I get past this?
—Janice in Branson, MO
Will anyone who has never made a mistake on the job please stand up? Some of us have made minor errors; some of us have made major boo-boos; and some of us have even made utter fools of ourselves. But every single one of us has erred at some point. As Donna Ferguson, assistant with Manchester Tank & Equipment Company, in Quincy, Illinois, accurately states, “I believe that someone who doesn’t make a mistake once in a while isn’t doing anything productive in the first place.” Great point.
Mea culpa is a Latin phrase that translates into English as “my fault” or “my own fault,” the modern equivalent of which would be “my bad.” This ...
