When You Make a Mistake...

TalentZoo.com | Beyond Madison Avenue | Flack Me | Digital Pivot

Archives | Categories

By: Cindy Wendland

How do you correct an epic mistake? That is the situation the Miss Universe pageant faced when the wrong winner was announced. Host Steve Harvey read the wrong name. The actual first runner-up was already wearing the crown and had to have it removed. He apologized, but how do you fix such a mistake?

Most organizations have a contingency plan in place to respond effectively to a significant future event or situation that may or may not happen. Did the Miss Universe pageant have a plan in place for this? Some critics actually think the host did it on purpose to get more PR. Would someone actually do that? It seems that a good host would be able to manage these things. Different envelopes could be used for the winner and the first runner-up.

Regardless, how does one make it right for the first runner-up who had a few minutes of fame and glory? We are not sure that her situation even entered into consideration. The host corrected his mistake and the winner was crowned. The first runner-up had the grace to let the crown be removed and stepped out of the limelight. We applaud her character. We also wish the correct winner a great year.

There are many situations where you don’t get a second chance. There are some where you do. Either way, have a plan where you have thought of every situation and the best response to keep your name intact. Mistakes are made. Just don’t have them be so big that you can’t recover.

blog comments powered by Disqus

About the Author

Cindy Wendland has a background in marketing and finance. She is the creative director for an online men's health magazine, BrainBrawnBody.com, and she gets to write their leisure/travel blog. She is also a web designer helping her clients with online community engagement, websitesbywendland.com. Prior to her web years, she worked in pharmacy consulting.

Beneath the Brand on