Navigating Mistakes: How Should I Communicate with My CEO After an Error?

Hi All,

I come with an incident that happened to me. I made a mistake while preparing the salary report of employees. I sent it via mail to my CEO (who takes care of payroll). He replied back, asking me a question. I answered, but I did not apologize for my mistake in my mail. My HR manager advised me that I should have apologized when I made that mistake (especially with salary).

Now I wonder why I did not. It was not due to ego but it just didn't cross my mind. That got me thinking that communication with seniors is a very sensitive issue. If not done properly, it could lead to clashes of different kinds. I wish there was a book on that - dos and don'ts while communicating with seniors (verbal and non-verbal).

Kindly advise...

Thanks, Jenna

Hello Jena,

Nobody is perfect; everybody makes mistakes, but apologizing for mistakes is really important. Some things which you should keep in mind are:
- Always check and recheck your work and emails before sending.
- When you make a mistake, write an email asking for apologies.
- Call and convey your apologies.

Regards,
Meenu