It’s unfortunate to make a mistake in your blog and to present something that isn’t true while you positioned it as fact.
Yes, it’s embarrassing and uncomfortable, but I’ll tell you what is even worse is trying to cover it up or cast blame onto someone else; in other words, to not take ownership of the foul-up.
It’s happened to all of us, or most of us, anyway.
You do your research, fact check, and then check again, and you press send. There it is “out there” for all to see. And it’s great, or so you think.
Shortly thereafter what you begin to receive emails and text messages that alert you to your mistake and you start to think:
· How could this have happened?
· Why didn’t I check XXXX?
· Did I just undermine my reputation?
· Will I be able to live this down?
Let’s remember that a similar situation has happened to many businesspeople. An error in a blog or newsletter, a discrepancy in website content, something erroneous that was presented in a webinar or a speech; put this way, the possibilities for mistakes are endless!
It would be disingenuous for me to say, “don’t worry, it’ll never happen again” because it very well might. We’re human.
The truth is that how you handle the situation is what matters most and it is what people will think about long after they remember that you posted “fake news” in your blog.
It’s true.
Here are some action steps that you should follow if a mistake occurs:
Take ownership immediately. The more time you take to come forward and “own” the error, the longer people will focus on the error and not the steps you are taking to fix it.
Don’t mince words. Some people apologize and take ownership but do so in such a convoluted manner that no one understands what they are saying and doing. Be transparent and decisive. Remember how Johnson & Johnson handled the Tylenol poisoning tragedy in 1982. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/23/your-money/IHT-tylenol-made-a-hero-of-johnson-johnson-the-recall-that-started.html
Analyze how the error happened and take definitive steps to ensure that there is a reduced chance of it ever happening again. Do you need a proofreader or fact-checker?
Remember to stop beating yourself up. Many mistakes happen because we are moving too fast, fooling ourselves into thinking that we are being extra careful when in fact, we are not.
It’s how most accidents happen.
So slow down and if you find that the burden of writing your own content is just too much, connect we us and we can offer some sug