By Rebecca Hodson
Fundraising and development is all about building relationships. But no one ever warns you that some of the most crucial relationships are built on the mistakes you make and how you handle them.
Recently, I achieved the Everest of professional embarrassment: I sent a meticulously crafted document intended for one prospect to an entirely different prospect. It contained confidential information about one prospect to another and was a masterpiece of incompetence.
My colleague alerted me to my blunder, emailing, “FYI—you emailed him the wrong proposal.” Nothing more, nothing less—just six words that filled me with terror. My stomach dropped, and I felt the heat of embarrassment and dread on my face. I briefly considered whether it was worth the trouble to change my identity and move to Switzerland.
Here’s the part of the story you should focus on—think of it as scrolling past the blogger’s life story to get to the actual recipe: when you mess up, own it. And do it with the urgency of realizing you’ve just texted your deepest secrets to your boss instead of your best friend.
I immediately emailed the prospect, confessing my error with a hearty dose of self-deprecation. I explained that, while utterly inexcusable, the mistake was the result of trying to send emails while boarding a flight. I made sure to copy my colleague, so he could witness my public self-flagellation. Then, I sent him a separate apology, promising to prioritize accuracy over speed in the future.
To my surprise, the prospect’s reply was unexpectedly kind. He admitted he’d made similar mistakes and appreciated my honesty. By facing the error head-on and injecting a bit of humor, I managed to turn a mortifying moment into a bonding experience.
The moral of the story is simple: don’t bury your head in the sand. Instead, admit your mistakes with humility and alacrity. Apologize sincerely, sprinkle in some humor if you can, and remember that your colleagues are there to catch you when you fall—or at least point out the banana peel you slipped on. By doing both, you will build trust with prospects and colleagues alike because, well, pobody’s nerfect!
