Making a mistake at work never feels good. Whether it’s a casual oversight or a massive screwup, the sinking feeling that results from the realization that you messed up is unmistakable.

So what can you do if you’ve made a mistake at work?

Tell the truth as soon as possible

Maybe you were going through reports and realized something was off, or you’ve received a negative email from a client. Once the realization has set in that something was overlooked or mishandled, get to work. Communicate to the people who are immediately involved first– your teammates, your direct boss, and anyone else who has touched the project or initiative. Especially consider timeliness– if this flub will affect any existing deadlines, communicate it as soon as possible. And don’t forget the client. If you’re working for someone else and your mistake directly impacts their business, they should be one of the first three people you tell. However…

Be strategic

While it’s important to disclose your mistake to your team and those who will be immediately affected, you don’t need to shout it to the rooftops. Would you email your whole company to let them know that you just put together a great pitch deck? Or that you had a really good client call? No. Then there’s no need to that when the news is negative either. Be mindful of the true impact of your mistake, and vocalize it accordingly.

Take ownership

The most important part of making of mistake is how you respond afterwards, and there’s nothing that will speak more to your leadership or capabilities than taking ownership. More often that not, this involves saying that difficult phrase: “I’m sorry.” Be honest and direct– state what happened, and what you’re going to do to fix it. And then move on. Don’t make it personal. Dwelling on the past isn’t a good approach to life, and it won’t help you in this situation either.

Do damage control

It’s one thing to take ownership when you’ve made a mistake at work, it’s another thing to be proactive in resolving it. Put out the small fires first; will this impact anyone else’s work? If so, can you facilitate their project in lieu of your own? In some cases, your mistake is an easy fix, like a mis-reported statistic. But sometimes, the solution might not be so simple — an accidental email that was sent, a big idea you vouched for that fell through, or anything that affects your company’s bottom line. Whatever is it, take a step back, look at the big picture and strategize. The idea that you could make a mistake that’s too big to fix is highly unlikely; and if that’s the case, well that’s an achievement in and of itself!