Oops…I did it again? How to Avoid Workplace Faux Pas

We’ve all watched those scenes in movies – the ones where the lovable, but in-over-her-head heroine messes up at work. Of course, immediately admitting the error to her boss is out of the question. Cue the snowball effect. Our poor protagonist’s hapless attempts to fix the problem lead to another mistake, which leads to another, which leads to – well, you get the picture. Meanwhile, we laugh, cringe, and, ultimately, feel relieved, thinking, “Thank god that isn’t me.”  Trouble is, for many collegiettes™, missteps in the workplace don’t just happen on the television screen. For some of us, they’re our worst nightmares come true. For others, they’re laughable stories to share with friends. Either way, they teach some valuable lessons about how to bounce back from the trickiest situations and ensure that they won’t happen again. 
 
Keep the gossip far from the water cooler — and the rest of the workplace
“I work in retail and sometimes the other employees and I talk about people on the headsets. One time I didn't realize a customer was right by me and I was still talking and laughing about something she was wearing...pretty sure she heard me too. Oops!” — Erica, University of Michigan ’13
 
Think about what it’s like when a friend hears you say something behind her back. Now think how mortifying the same situation could be in a professional setting. “Customers can be sneaky sometimes,” says Laura Baugh, Virginia Tech ’13, who has witnessed the negative effects of workplace gossip firsthand. “They may not say anything to your face, but one look at your name tag and all they have to do is call up your manager and complain.”
To do some immediate damage control, apologize at once to the customer. It can be tempting to try to defend yourself with excuses, but that can only hurt your cause. Any kind of gossip in the workplace is unjustifiable, says Tammy Tibbetts, who deals with employees and workplace relationships every day as the President and Founder of She’s the First. “Hopefully it's a wake up call to get their act together! They should be prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty at work now, because they need to make a comeback!” adds Tibbetts.
 
Going above and beyond does not mean sucking up to your boss, but it does mean being careful about what you say when you’re on the job. Even if you think you’re alone, know that anyone could be listening. In the event that you find yourself bursting at the seams with juicy info, jot it down so you can share it later with friends outside of work — just make sure it’s far outside of work!