To ask for positive stories after a massive cock up at work?

[PoppinsMoppins]

Just that.

I've really fucked up. Sitting here stressing and can't think of anything else.

Have you got any experience of cocking up and it all being ok?

Made me smile Rach - Dyson prototyped 'their Hoover'. After today, I needed that!

Last week the Sun reported that Prince Philip had died. Imagine how well that went down.

I used to beat myself up over mistakes at work but a couple of years ago I read Do No Harm by the brain surgeon Henry Marsh. He recounts cutting out a brain tumour from a patient and then, thinking he'd get just that last little bit, cut some more - with the result that he cut too much and the patient was left permanently paralysed from the neck down.

After that, it put all my mistakes into perspective.

PippaFawcett, I'm a Store supervisor and have almost done this so many times because the customer has wandered off whilst I've been checking on something for them.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573380/Doing-a-Ratner-and-other-famous-gaffes.html

I've fucked up in the most monumentally public way possible. I worked for a local authority and accidentally published on the website a list of complainants, their complaints and who they were against. It was only up there for a short while, but long enough for a local journalist to spot it and bring it to my attention and ask for a comment. I do believe my heart must have completely stopped beating for a minute when I realised my error. I mean, people have been sacked for less.

You're judged not on your mistakes but on how you respond to them. I took full and immediate responsibility and worked with my boss (thankfully hugely supportive as we worked in a hugely pressurised environment) to rectify the situation - notified the Information Commissioner, the people affected, issued media statement etc. People were extraordinarily kind and understanding, as well as full of praise for how I'd handled it. It caused a mountain of work and hundreds of pounds in compensation. Very definitely the worst moment of my career.

I now use it in training to emphasise the importance of honesty, integrity and personal resilience. I've also used it in response to the standard "tell me about a difficult time and how you responded" interview question - and still been successful in being appointed to the job.

It's all part of your personal development op! An old boss of mine always used to say "Did anyone die as a result? No? Then it's not that bad."

Thank you for posting this, it is making me feel better about my cock up that have just discovered today. I had processed a re-quote request as an order, so work was done with no authorisation from client, it was only as I was marking the works of as complete on the clients system I find the error!

I have no excuse I just did not read the email properly, I have explained to the client, my finance manager and Director my mistake. No response from the client or my Director as yet, but the finance manager was understanding due to my honesty and steps to resolve the issue.

Doesn't stop me feeling a twat thou

When I was a lot younger I worked in hospital admin. I was operating a database whilst working on the surgical waiting list. Unbeknown to me, I accidentally sent the wrong letter to a patient coming in for an investigation due to pressing the wrong number on the database. She was automatically sent a sachet of laxative with instructions to take it beforehand. She duly did as she was instructed. Thing is, the procedure she was actually in for didn't require the bowel to be cleared out. I only found out when the charge nurse told me later that she'd wondered why the lady had mentioned taking picolax...Luckily the patient was none the wiser and no harm was done. I felt awful but learned my lesson!

I run a training course peppered with cockups I've dealt with
they are what makes us human

I fell off a stool I was standing on at work and landed on the floor with my mini skirt up to my waist and holey tights. This happened in front of one senior manager who witnessed it and another who I shoved into on the way down.

I sent a letter to the wrong person. It ended up in a competitors hands and they had a field day with it. It eventually ended up getting reproduced on an industry website with hundreds of people poking fun at my company.

My manager was supportive when I got major crap from the big bosses above her. One month later it was forgotten. Six months later we were able to laugh about it. Several years later I am still working in the same industry and recently got headhunted by someone who knew exactly what had happened, knew it was me and still wanted me to work for him!

These things generally work themselves out in the end.

So, you want to hear about cock ups: Just before my last round of interview for a job, I went for a drink with a friend and because I havent eaten I got quite tipsy. Then got home took my bra off, put it on my lap and logged in on zoom for the interview... In the middle of the conversation, all going well (or so I thought), I forgot I had the bra on my lap, I moved it away, slowly displaying it in front of the camera.... I just saw that on the video and then realised I was moving my padded bra across the screen!