You've just sent off a very important email addressed to the wrong person and you notice the familiar feelings of panic - your adrenaline is pumping, your thoughts are scattering and you can't think of what to do next. However, it is important to remember that there are ways you can save some face after a bad mistake such as this. 

Talk to your boss and apologise

The worst thing you can do when you've messed up is to avoid telling anyone. This will likely only make it worse. If there's a chance that the mistake you have made is irreparable, you must tell your boss straight away.

When you do make your mistake known, don't try to downplay it, the Muse advises. A lot of people react this way but it doesn't do them any favours. It makes you look insincere and like you don't care about your job. It's always better to own up to your error.

That being said, apologising profusely is not the way to go either. In fact, it only wastes time that could be spent trying to figure out how to solve the problem. Saying you're sorry too much shows your boss or co-worker that you can't handle tough situations, which is a must-have quality for Executive Assistants.

The best way to go about it is to tell someone about your mistake immediately. Show remorse, but only briefly, and move onto forming a plan to minimise any damage caused by the mistake, which brings us to the next point.

Be helpful 

If you've blundered in some way, it's important that you don't come running to your boss in a panic asking them for answers. This will only annoy them. 

Come up with solutions after you've made an error.

It is best to offer solutions to a problem you caused, says Alison Green, the creator of the blog, Ask a Manager. Put yourself in the manager's shoes - if you have a way to fix the mess you have caused and can ensure them that it won't happen again, you make your boss's job a a lot easier. If they don't have to put systems in place because you've already come up with a way to prevent future mistakes, they won't have as much to do. 

By showing you will avoid future problems and demonstrating that you're sorry, you'll demonstrate to the boss just how much you care about the company and regain some of your competence in their eyes.