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How can I be more robust mentally?

(41 Posts)
mumski Thu 08-Aug-24 11:20:29

Has any one got any coping mechanisms they can share please?

I have a new role at work which I'm just starting to get to grips with and enjoy.
However, there has been a complaint made against me for getting someone's name wrong in a ceremony. I don't want to give too many details in case I/them could be identified.

Even though my friend who does the same role says 'everyone at some point will make the same mistake. I can't stop beating myself up about it.
My manager is hopeless and his attitude doesn't help.
It's really knocked my confidence and I just want to crawl into a dark hole.
How do people pick themselves up again from this sort of situation?
I would be glad of any help you can give.

Oreo Thu 08-Aug-24 11:30:47

Getting someones name wrong? Hardly an offence is it?
Without details can’t really help, but you need to stop beating yourself up about something so small, stand up straight and have confidence or you won’t be able to carry on in that role.
Put small knocks behind you and show others that all is fine with you.
Unfortunately women beat themselves up about minor problems when they really don’t need to.
If you do anything wrong or considered wrong at work, apologise and move on.

Baggs Thu 08-Aug-24 11:48:00

Who complained? The person whose name you "got wrong" or someone else? What exactly do you mean by "got wrong"? – mispronounced it? or mistook them for someone else?

Was this an Oops, sorry! sort of slip or did you implicate someone in an evil deed?

You do know beating people up in itself is very wrong, I trust?

Sounds as if your friend who tried to reassure you has the right attitude. If s/he can do it so can you. Chill and carry on doing your job as conscientiously as you can.

LauraNorderr Thu 08-Aug-24 11:53:04

You say you got someone’s name wrong in a ceremony.
If you are a celebrant and we’re marrying two people and got a name wrong then that’s pretty poor and upsetting for the misnamed person.
Same for a funeral or christening.
Can you explain ‘ceremony’ to give context.

LauraNorderr Thu 08-Aug-24 11:53:56

Were marrying not we’re, predictive text gremlins.

Dee1012 Thu 08-Aug-24 12:04:38

This is what I tell people on my team, it might help?
Try to maintain a positive perspective when it comes to mistakes at work. It's important not to panic over small issues. With only a few exceptions - making work-related mistakes won't end in a life or death situation.
Many mistakes are resolvable immediately or soon after the error occurs.
Take accountability for the mistake and try not to make excuses for why the mistake occurred, apologise and make a plan for next time!
We've all been there at some point!

Freshair Thu 08-Aug-24 12:11:49

Take some time off. Work on getting some perspective and try to speak compassionately to yourself.

Tuaim Thu 08-Aug-24 13:24:39

I suppose just triple check next time. Nowadays I think it is the solution you find to over come your mistake that counts. As they say nowadays, if you take ownership of it, it shows a robust approach.

Wyllow3 Thu 08-Aug-24 13:31:28

I'm so sorry you have a useless manager, a good one would reassure and I'm sure you have apologised.

Sometimes a chat with your union rep may help, not to make a big thing out of it but to reassure.

biglouis Thu 08-Aug-24 13:39:06

I run a business and sometimes I inadvertantly get peoples names wrong as I sell worldwide and some of my customers have challenging names. If they complain I just say Im sorry you were upset, this was human error and no one is perfect.

Then I just move on past it.

Women (so I am told) tend to beat themselves up for errors. However men compartmentalise things as a protective mechanism so they move past mistakes more easily.

AreWeThereYet Thu 08-Aug-24 13:40:11

We used to have a saying at work 'Please who aren't making mistakes aren't doing very much'.

The whole of life is about making mistakes, correcting the mistake where you can, earning from it and moving on. And hopefully not making the same mistake again.

Take a deep breath, head up high and carry on.

pascal30 Thu 08-Aug-24 13:40:24

Just remember that we ALL learn through our mistakes.. you won't do it again. stop beating yourself up and see it as a good thing.. people probably didn't even notice.. I bet you wouldn't have given it a second thought if a colleague had done it,,,

AreWeThereYet Thu 08-Aug-24 13:41:59

Ooops. Learning from it, not 'earning' from it.

eazybee Thu 08-Aug-24 13:43:53

You made a mistake in your work. Everyone does.
Presumably you will be conducting similar ceremonies in future, therefore practise and rehearse as much as you are able before each one until your confidence returns.
You can't undo the mistake but you can ensure you don't make it again.

sandelf Thu 08-Aug-24 13:49:32

We all walk on the same ground. I guess you have apologised - if not do. Why did it happen? It there anything you can do to reduce the chances of similar in future? I have found sometimes when I'm the object of what seems unreasonable anger - there is some other cause nothing to do with me that has added to the heat. Might that be part of this?

Shoulders down, head up, breathe and smile. You have friends here among the old souls.

OldFrill Thu 08-Aug-24 13:50:51

What are the repercussions of the complaint? It should be sorted to everyone's satisfaction and all parties can move on.
People can be very quick to complain and some are rather unforgiving. Please forgive yourself and move on. A different person may not have complained. We're all fallible, your colleague is right, learn from it but let it go - and then you'll grow.

Kate1949 Thu 08-Aug-24 13:56:20

I feel for you. When I was working, I was cajoled (bullied) into taking notes of office meetings by manager This was not part of my job but she wore me down.

I found it very stressful and the manager would scribble all over my typed notes, altering a lot of what I'd recorded. I hated it.

I had to list attendees at the start of the notes. On one occasion I missed the name of one attendee off in error. She was someone I knew well and socialised with. On receipt of her copy she came to my desk and pointed out my error. I apologised profusely, explaining how stressful I found it. She said I had missed her off deliberately as she was of a different culture to the rest of the attendees. She implied that she could report me. I was mortified. These things, which seem small to some, can get very serious in the workplace.

BeverleyJB Thu 08-Aug-24 14:07:30

We're all human and we all make mistakes.
All you can do is apologise appropriately and try and learn from it. As has already been suggested, is there something you can do to prevent the same mistake happening again?

Also please bear in mind that “being offended” is something of a hobby with certain people who have such small, petty minds and such boring, insignificant existences that they spend all their time finding offence where there is none and complaining about it as loudly and persistently as possible.

All you can do is try to rise above such behaviour - do the right thing and try not to let it get you down.
Best wishes flowers

Cossy Thu 08-Aug-24 14:10:13

Please please don’t let this ruin things. We all make mistakes, because we are human, and nobody died!

Freshair Thu 08-Aug-24 14:37:42

Kate1949 💐 this has obviously affected you badly. It's micromanagement at its worst. I've just called someone at work. I don't care about the repercussions anymore, I won't have people giving ne tasks to do then trashing stuff or rewriting. This is one person in a huge organisation, I rarely come across it, but this thing yesterday needed addressing immediately.

Kate1949 Thu 08-Aug-24 14:46:00

No it hasn't affected me badly Freshair. It was a long time ago. I have been retired for years. I was just trying to let the OP know that this happens to others too.

BigBertha1 Thu 08-Aug-24 14:50:06

I would take Dee1012 s advice. Best wishes from me who often put her foot in it at work and gave her herself a right Royal hard time - don't do it - move on, its the best advice.

welbeck Thu 08-Aug-24 14:53:43

has an official complaint been lodged.
if so, follow the procedure and seek union support.
if not a union member, join immediately.
unity is strength, and there are various benefits.
if no official complaint, then just set a plan for yourself to avoid such errors in the future.
eg if a foreign name, seek advice from those who know and rehearse your part, aloud, several times.
all the best.

mumski Thu 08-Aug-24 16:09:04

Thank you for all your words of wisdom and kind thoughts.
I shall take all of your good advice and work to put it behind me, and try and forgive myself. x

missdeke Sat 10-Aug-24 11:19:45

When I got married in 1969 the vicar called my husband Trevor all the way through the ceremony, he only noticed when we signed the register although many guests were sniggering at the time. No idea who Trevor was! I thought it was funny.