How To Make A Comeback After You’ve Let People Down

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Hey, it's Marie Forleo and you are watching MarieTV, the place to be if you want to create a business and life you love, and this is Q&A Tuesday. Today's question comes from Ben, and Ben writes, "Hello from South Africa. Thank you so much. Your videos are an endless source of motivation." You are so welcome, Ben. "I'm not yet 30 but I've worked my way fairly high up within my company. I'm the youngest senior manager and have worked tirelessly to build a solid reputation, but unfortunately last year my physical, spiritual and mental health took a dive. I got through a serious illness and burnout, but in the process I dropped so many balls, missed so many deadlines and let so many people down. Luckily I was able to get back up. I just wish I could say the same for my reputation. I fear I've lost the respect of my business partners and that the damage may jeopardize future opportunities.

I've reached out to people to explain what happened, but I fear I'm no longer being given the chance to prove myself. How do I rebuild trust with my business partners and colleagues? Thanks so much, Ben." Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, great question. You've got to know every human being on earth makes mistakes. However, it is possible to make a comeback. Now, I know you've said you've explained your behavior, but I'm curious, did you do it in the most effective way? If I were you, here's what I do.

Number one, take a walk in their shoes. First, I'd list all the people that I let down and the exact ways that my behavior affected them. This is a great tool to allow you to see everything from another person's point of view, which is awesome for communicating more effectively.

Number two, have a heart to heart and put it in writing. It doesn't matter whether it's in person or over the phone, you just want to start calling your peeps and you can say something like, "As you know, last year was rough and while I'm thrilled to be back, it may be hard for you to trust me again. I apologize for the problems I caused and you have my word it will never happen again. I'm committed to this company and to its success. In fact, here's my plan to make sure it never does and here's what I'll do to make it up to you, if you'll give me the chance."

After you've had the conversation, follow up with a thank you note and reiterate what you said. Remember, it's one thing to say you're going to change. It's a whole other thing to put it in writing.

Number three, don't talk about it, be about it. It may be a cliche, but actions do speak louder than words, so don't let your mind keep screwing with you. Don't think about what other people think. Just commit to being a pro. I want you to remember this and yes, it's a tweetable.

Positive action is the best way to put your mistakes in the past. Ben, I know you're afraid that people won't give you a second chance, but I'll bet you can get them rooting for you. Remember, everybody loves a great comeback. Ben, that was my A to your Q, I hope it helps.

Now, I would love to hear from you. Have you ever led a bunch of people down? How did you make your comeback? And on the flip side, has someone ever let you down and really come back strong? What did they do? I would love to hear your story. As always, the best discussions happen after the episode over at MarieForleo.com. Go there and leave a comment now.

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Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams because the world needs that special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next time on MarieTV.

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