To err is but human, but there are certain situations where you have to go for damage control especially if you make some stupid mistake at work. Staying calm and quick thinking is the key to handling such embarrassing situations at work. If you commit an embarrassing gaffe at work, have no fear, there are ways to recover gracefully.

Here are three tips to help your

recover.

Confess your wrongdoing

If you commit an obvious faux pas, like mispronunciation, including a typo in a presentation or accidentally sending a raunchy e-mail to your entire company, there’s not much you can do but admit you messed up and go from there. Talking about your error too much could make the situation worse, so it’s best to correct your mistake and move on.

Make most of the situation

If you’re caught making reproachful comments about a co-worker or boss take advantage of the opportunity to finally voice your concerns. Apologise for the way he or she found out about your grievances but use the moment to have an open discussion about why it might be difficult to work together. You could end up turning a negative situation into a positive one.

Don’t take it too seriously

Nothing soothes the pain of an embarrassing situation better than laughing about it. If you can laugh at yourself (and your mistakes) it’s likely other people can too.