--- title: "Daily Buzz: How to Explain Mistakes to Members" id: "46417" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-how-to-explain-mistakes-to-members" published_at: "2019-04-22T21:28:13+00:00" modified_at: "2019-04-22T21:28:13+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/22/daily-buzz-how-to-explain-mistakes-to-members/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/22/daily-buzz-how-to-explain-mistakes-to-members.md" excerpt: "Association professionals are human, and they make mistakes. How you handle talking about those mix-ups can pave the way to better member relations. Also: Career success is about more than passion." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AI" - "AssociationsNow" - "Communications" - "member relations" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: How to Explain Mistakes to Members Let’s face it: Even the most experienced team makes mistakes. And when they do happen, it’s important to be transparent with members about the error—and how you’re going to fix it. Sure, there’s no easy way to say “We messed up,” but acting swiftly and owning up to the problem can establish more trust in your member relations. “Regardless of what you say or how minor the ‘whoops’ was, a best practice is to reach out ASAP,” [says Callie Walker from the MemberClicks blog (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.memberclicks.com/explaining-a-whoops-to-your-members-4-tips) . “Email is typically the best method for this, as it’s a quick and easy way to reach your entire membership.” As for what you should say about the mistake, well, that depends on how critical the error. “If it was something as minor as getting the date wrong in one of your emails, then there’s really no need to go into a long explanation,” Walker says. “But if it was something that caused a bit more of an inconvenience to your members, then an explanation may help.” She recommends outlining why the mistake happened, what you’ve done or are doing to correct the situation, and any next steps—but only providing details as needed. “If there’s only one takeaway you get from this, it should be that the lines of communication between you and your members should always be open,” Walker says. “And like we mentioned, email is typically the best tool for that.” ### You Need More Than Passion > Want a successful career? Get these three things right and to see results. [@beckfeldt (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/beckfeldt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/RH38k4SIAW (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/RH38k4SIAW) > > — Inc. (@Inc) [April 22, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Inc/status/1120328834086309888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **“Passion” is often a key ingredient** to a successful career, but it’s just that—one ingredient in the overall recipe. “Popular advice says that to be successful you just need to follow your passion, which implies that doing something that is driven simply by your interest will be enough to propel your career and financial needs,” [says Bruce Eckfeldt (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/bruce-eckfeldt/passion-is-just-one-of-3-things-required-for-career-success-here-are-other-2.html) on *Inc*. “While it’s nice to think that it’s that easy, the fact is it’s not.” Other than drive, Eckfeldt says mastery of a skill and reasonable market demand drive a successful career. ### Other Links of Note **Storing event data** in your association management system can [deepen the member experience and ease your resources (opens in a new tab)](https://www.membersuite.com/blog/8-reasons-to-keep-event-data-in-your-ams) , says the MemberSuite blog. **Research shows that** young professionals prefer the convenience of email newsletters. The Personify blog offers [ideas on how to refresh email content (opens in a new tab)](https://personifycorp.com/blog/4-tips-for-refreshing-your-email-newsletter) . **Rethink the traditional** conference Q&A format to [improve engagement and streamline your meeting (opens in a new tab)](https://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/event-design/2019/04/any-questions-rethinking-traditional-qa/) , says meetings designer and facilitator Adrian Segar. (Deagreez/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#AI](https://associationsnow.com/tag/ai/) [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#member relations](https://associationsnow.com/tag/member-relations/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F04%2F22%2Fdaily-buzz-how-to-explain-mistakes-to-members%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !