When you make a bad decision, the first thing you can do is apologize.  Don't hope people forget about it. They won't. If you have done something inappropriate, it can be difficult to get over. But if you take action on a decision and it doesn't go well, face it head-on and admit what happened.  When you get feedback from someone about a bad decision or how you are perceived, the first step is to believe it. You can't change until you accept the feedback you get.  To avoid making mistakes, seek counsel as you work through and towards big decisions. Have relationships with people who work with you so you can ask questions and get their advice. Seeking help, and taking your time, will lead to making fewer bad decisions.  Often, bad decisions come from making the decision in isolation.  In difficult situations, our desire to make people happy can also lead us to make the wrong decision.  It is better to hurt someone's feelings now rather than hurt their career later because you didn't give them candid feedback.