Avionics News October 2012 - 68

BUSINESS BASICS

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Just don’t wait for the perfect answer, lest the problem snowball – particularly if other departments in the shop are affected. Ultimately, you’ll need to make things right with these folks, too, and the path to redemption for all but the most grievous errors includes a sincere apology. For the record, this should not start, “I’m sorry this happened, but…” Everything after the “but” comes off as an excuse. Instead, Kusy suggests your apology include four parts: sharing what you’ve done wrong, in the past tense; explain you know the effect it had on the affected individuals; offering a humble “I’m sorry;” and explaining what you’re doing to rectify the transgression.

Of course, this assumes you intend to rectify whatever caused the problem. If you don’t, then don’t bother with the apology; otherwise, you’re not only error-prone, you’re also on the road to being untrustworthy, which quickly leads out the door – if it’s not already hit you in the butt. So, this is time for some selfreflection. You can’t keep going back to the well for forgiveness, because if you make too many mistakes, you’re not a problem-solver, you’re a screw-up who doesn’t pay attention, doesn’t care enough or doesn’t have the intellectual capacity for the job. “If you are competent and capable, you have to take the time to understand where the breakdown in the process is,” Drake said. “You have to see where it is so it doesn’t repeat itself.”

You also must demonstrate change. In addition to opening yourself up for 360-degree feedback, Kusy suggests proactively telling colleagues what you’re going to do and what kind of help you will need. At a time when you could have made the same mistake again, show them you have learned. MAKING GOOD Undoubtedly, fixing mistakes is most important when dealing with customers. You mitigate some of the peril here by maintaining your transparency, recognizing the affects of a problem on your customer and practicing the techniques of service recovery. Certainly, if there’s a significant problem, you must quickly tell the customer. You may be disrupting his or her schedule, and your error may have repercussions that affect their personal wellbeing, too.

usiness mistakes don’t always stay within your four walls. When you’re faced with product issues, high-profile service stumbles or even indiscretions of key employees, you’re not just dealing with co-workers and customers; you also speak to media and social media outlets. This public attention certainly is a scary prospect. Beat the fear by following the transparent process you would use with any stakeholder, according to strategic-communications consultant Michelle Drake. “It’s the cover-up that’s worse than the mistake,” she said. “If you say it, then others can’t grab onto it.”

Public Relations in a Time of Error
Whether it’s a prepared release, an interview or a reply to an online post, Drake recommends apologizing quickly to assume accountability and ownership of the error: this is what happened, and we’re sorry. Then, spend the rest of your time addressing a solution, including what you are doing to fix it, and how you will prevent it from happening again. “It’s about redirecting to the addressing of the solution,” she said. Openness allays fear by allowing you to control the message. “People are going to find out about the mistake,” she said. “It’s not about shouting your mistakes; it’s about shouting your ability to solve a problem.” q

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Avionics News October 2012

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