Workplace culture has room to accommodate mistakes

No one likes to make mistakes and yet, without facing the chance of failure it would be impossible to be innovative.

This was the idea that late computer science professor Randy Pausch (famous for giving his "Last Lecture" at Carnegie Mellon University after being diagnosed with terminal cancer) tried to encourage in his students.

In his class, Pausch would present "The First Penguin Award" to the team of students who took the greatest gamble toward achieving their goals -- and failed. The award was aptly named for the one brave penguin in the flock that is the first to jump into the sea, even though there may be unseen predators below the surface. Although that penguin takes the biggest risk, if no one is willing to jump in first, the entire flock will starve on dry land.

As embarrassing and costly as they may be, mistakes are one way of breaking out of the box and doing something important, creative and interesting. In fact, history shows that failure opens doors to new and better opportunities that would have been left undiscovered:

-- The Beatles were rejected by Decca Records in 1962 after being told that they had "no future in show business."

-- The original business plan for FedEx received a "C" grade in Yale because the professor thought it was not feasible.

-- Inventor James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of his dual cyclone vacuum cleaner before he finally got one right.

Although mistakes can be used to strengthen innovation, there is still a stigma attached to making errors at work. In grade school, we are taught that check marks come only when we get things correct and this carries over into our career to the point that some employees are afraid to do anything wrong lest they miss out on rewards or fall out of favour with the boss.

The workplace needs to begin accommodating mistakes. Instead of placing people under constant pressure to avoid slip-ups, or worse, encouraging them to cover up or blame others when gaffes do occur, we need to create a culture where they feel safe to admit what went wrong without fear of reprisal. From there, a dialogue can begin on what can be learned from the mistake (Is there a flaw in the system? Can processes be improved? Is there a better way of doing things?) and how it can be prevented from recurring in the future.

To be able to benefit from mistakes, it is important to create a work culture that:

Encourages candid attitudes. In his book Winning, Jack Welch wrote that the quality he valued most was the ability to be candid. It's good for business because it allows people to get to the point, cut down on inefficiency and helped clear the air and create more certainty. When people are free to be candid about admitting their mistakes, they will not waste time pointing the finger of blame in others' direction.

Recognizes failure as a means of getting feedback. A more positive, healthy way of looking at your mistakes is to view them as a means of collecting feedback. Somewhere along the way, something failed and that has now allowed you to gain additional knowledge and make necessary improvements. Seeing mistakes for what they really are will help you to focus on the solution rather than agonize over the problem.

Realizes that there may be more than one outcome. When scientists are working on a lab experiment, they may try to predict the result, but they prepare for any number of possible outcomes. Just because the end product may not be what was originally expected doesn't mean it is a mistake. Be open-minded and willing to go down a different path.

Expects mistakes to occur. There is an IT firm in Michigan that posts a large sign in the work area that reads "Make Mistakes Faster." Because of the field they are in, they expect their people to take risks, but that they will also take responsibility for their mistakes. From their point of view, the sooner people screw up, the sooner they can learn, grow and move on.

Removes the fear. When you convey to employees that there will be dire consequences to making mistakes, you may succeed in making them extra careful in doing their tasks, but you will also prevent them from taking the initiative to go beyond their expected job functions and take chances. It's true what they say: people who fear mistakes make no progress.

-- With reporting by Barbara Chabai

John McFerran, PhD, F.CHRP, is founder and vice-president of executive recruiting with People First HR Services Ltd. For more information, visit www.peoplefirsthr.com.

RESEARCH:

http://positivesharing.com/2010/06/top-5-reasons-to-celebrate-mistakes-at-work/

http://workplaceculture.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-importance-of-admitting-mistakes-at-work

http://www.life-with-confidence.com/fear-of-making-mistakes.html

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 25, 2010 I2