Okay, so you messed up - big time. Option 1: Hide in the bathroom. Option 2: Get back your good name. Here are tips on how to fix anything and move on.

GOOF 1: "I LOST SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT"

Stress increases your chances of losing something crucial or otherwise making a major, unfixable mistake. The key is to confess - immediately and succinctly. An admission of error and a willingness to work out a fail-safe plan for the next time, shows you're a pro who cares about the quality of her work.

So, you should be ready to eat crow.

GOOF 2: "I SENT AN ANGRY E-MAIL TO THE WRONG PERSON"

Technology has a funny way of being your best friend - or your worst enemy. The convenience of e-mail makes misdirected messages surprisingly common. We tap them out automatically, almost without thinking (and often when we're in the midst of umpteen other tasks). If you don't want to see your heated prose posted on a company bulletin board, don't send it out over e-mail. And if you can't resist the urge to communicate something unkind about a boss or co-worker, keep the detail vague - and the names out.

Once the damage is done, you need to make diplomatic overtures. Apologise for being unprofessional. Explain calmly, what makes you so dissatisfied with your relationship -lack of supervision, the wrong assignments, no room to grow professionally or whatever. Focus on your goals. Then suggest a way you can improve your relationship, whether it's touching base with monthly "career chats" or getting more opportunities to choose your own assignments. That helps turn your goof into a constructive plan for action.

GOOF 3: "I BLABBED AND NOW I'M IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE"

The people you work with value you for your talent - and your discretion. Use it; otherwise you'll risk losing their trust. But sometimes you just blabbed and you are in a big mess.

If you can admit that your remarks were inappropriate and offer to make things right in time, your clients and/or your boss may see your indiscretion as a momentary slip, not a pattern which proves you can't be trusted.

Of course, that doesn't mean you should become a total hermit, either. Every manager knows that the office grapevine can be a useful early-warning system. But be careful when you share the information you've gleaned. When you're a boss, you're a role model, and there's no easy fix for a breach of trust. Your best move is to say you're sorry and explain your motives. If you've had a good track record about keeping confidence in the past, people are more likely to believe that you meant well.

GOOF 4: "I GOT CAUGHT JOB HUNTING"

Who hasn't stolen a moment or two of office time to check out a promising job prospect? Have you been cruising the Internet job boards when your boss stopped by to chat?

In a red-hot job market, everyone knows their employees are free agents but no boss wants to be reminded of that. If your boss brings it up, don't apologise. Instead, use this as a time to discuss what's making you want to leave (for instance, too much work or not enough challenges). Your boss may well find ways to remedy the situation. The fact is, in a hot job market, it's not such a bad thing to have your boss know you've got your eyes open; she may see you as a prize worth keeping.

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