Own up to a mistake: an annotated email example
Tell Martha, own it, and propose next steps.
The situation
In the report sent yesterday to client Altis, you swapped a figure: $1.2M instead of $2.1M in revenue. The file is already fixed. You suggest calling the client to explain.
Strict about accuracy, but she respects people who own their mistakes quickly and cleanly.
The winning structure
A good email for this situation includes these elements, in this order:
- A greeting with the recipient's first name.
- The mistake owned
- The detail ($1.2M instead of $2.1M)
- The fix done
- A call to the client suggested
- A clear ask at the end: a question or an action with a deadline.
- A short sign-off, then your name.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the mistake owned : « What happened, exactly? »
- Leaving out the detail ($1.2M instead of $2.1M) : « What error? Is it serious? »
- Leaving out the fix done : « Is it fixed, at least? »
- Leaving out a call to the client suggested : « And what do we tell the client? »
- Getting defensive before acknowledging the problem.
- Sharing bad news with no solution and no next step.
Write your own version: the recipient reacts and you get a score out of 100.
The annotated example
Try it yourself first: you'll remember more. Click to show the example.
Hi Martha,
- Greeting by first name: the reader knows it's for them.
I made a mistake in the report sent to Altis yesterday: I wrote $1.2M in revenue instead of $2.1M.
- Includes: the mistake owned.
- Includes: the detail ($1.2M instead of $2.1M).
The file is already corrected. I suggest I call the client today to send the right version and explain.
- Includes: the fix done.
- Includes: a call to the client suggested.
Are you OK with that?
- Clear ask: the reader knows what to do.
Thanks,
Alex
- Short sign-off, then the name.
Why it works : 47 words against a target of 100, 5 words per sentence on average, no filler phrases.