You Got it Wrong

When you make a mistake, don't just try and hold your breath till the smoke clears. Deal with it:

1.) Apologize
2.) Assume Responsibility
3.) Talk to the Problem

Apologize
As I've mentioned in an earlier post (The Proactive Apology), apologize as soon as a problem comes up, by voice (in person or by phone / no emails).

Assume Responsibility
Our nature as humans and as workers is to automatically assume (or try to find a way) that its not our fault. We cross our fingers and hope it'll surface that the mistake rests on someone else's shoulders. Don't go this route. Get in front of the problem and just go ahead and stick your neck out there. If you had any hand in the mistake happening, go ahead and assume responsibility. Start there, and then work your way down to the heart of the problem. Its not important who's at fault, its important that the problem is solved and prevented from happening again.

Talk to the Problem
Its easy to get emotional and start talking to the person - criticizing what they did or didn't do. Instead, focus on the issue at hand. What happened, what should have happened, why that needed to happen, etc. Focus on the problem, not the person, and more results will follow.