On screwing up

Making mistakes at work is inevitable and necessary for growth. When you screw up, control your emotional reaction first—avoid both making excuses and self-flagellation. Wait 30 seconds to a few minutes before acting. Communicate the problem to your manager immediately and matter-of-factly, before you've solved it, to avoid worse scenarios where others discover it independently. Accept that mistakes will hurt your reputation somewhat, but managers judge you on overall results, not individual failures. The optimal number of mistakes isn't zero—if you never make mistakes, you're probably taking too few risks and moving too slowly.