We learn from our mistakes, but only when we accept them. No one learns anything from being perfect all of the time. We fall and we get back up. We stumble and we get steadier. It’s not about the mistake that was made but rather what actions are taken after. To bury, deny, or blame the error suppresses the ability to learn how to not repeat the blunder. To acknowledge the fault and correct the misstep allows for improvement, development, and growth. 

Creating a safe environment where employees, teammates, and peers can stand up and say, “I messed up”, or “I need help”, is the responsibility of the leaders. It is bred from a culture centered on advancement and acceptance rather than fear and blame. It is organizations that accept the humanity of its people instead of holding the expectation that the employees are faultless robots that succeed in maintaining a workforce that is dedicated, committed to betterment, and open to feedback. 

I am the lucky owner of two wild cats. I consider myself lucky as they are exotic and beautiful creatures. My luck runs out when they are destructive and naughty. They steal food, climb to ridiculous heights and run. And when they run they let nothing stand in their way. 

This past weekend, my favorite glass lid to my most used pot was washed and leaned up to dry against several other large dishes that wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher. They were stacked up like a game of clean dish Jenga. I knew it was a bad idea, the scene had disaster written all over it. 

Enter the cat zoomies. One after another they bolted into the kitchen and leapt from one counter to another and straight across the stack of wobbly dishes. It all happened so fast there was no time for reaction. Down crashed my coveted lid shattering into a million shards of glass. It was then, that my mistake came to surface. I should have hand dried the lid. I could have set it anywhere to dry. Instead I did nothing, and now I have lost a lid. 

I didn’t blow my lid though. I stood there in shock for a moment staring at the mess. I didn’t blame the frisky felines. I didn’t make an excuse. I messed up and I owned it. I learned from my avoidable error and will never play Jenga with glass dishes again. 

How as leaders can you create a safe enough place that your people will be comfortable not just making mistakes but owing them? What can you do to make mistakes less scary? How do you ensure that when errors are brought to the surface that they are used as a learning opportunity? 

• Get Down From Your Pedestal: Leaders fumble too. Yes, we want to be seen as the holy grail of information that never makes a wrong call, or doesn’t have the answer immediately but that is not feasible. We too, as people, are allowed some room for human error. Allow our teams to not only learn from our mistakes but more importantly how we recover from them. 

• Don’t Blow Your Lid: Take a minute. Breathe. Formulate and practice what corrective yet constructive feedback you are going to give. Going berserk and reacting in an aggressive manner will only cause your employee to shut down, make excuses and place blame on outside factors. You must make the situation a learning experience for the sake of the business and the well-being of the one that faltered. Creating this safe space allows you to ensure that errors aren’t being swept under the rug, only to resurface as a larger issue later. As for repeated mistakes, look deeper into training and the “why”. 

• Correct Quickly and Consistently and Gracefully: Do not pick and choose who or what issues you address. Your teams need to know that they will be held accountable but that you will be respectful rather than demeaning. Do not let a series of infractions build before you take the opportunity to have the conversation. Correction that does not occur as soon as the issue is discovered loses some of its gusto. The details become blurred and the impact of the error lessens over time. 

Personally, I love making mistakes. It lets me remember that I am human, too, and gives me the chance to become better every day. 

The zoomies have commenced yet again. Something crashed in another room. Here’s to hoping no one thought a tower of wine glasses was a good idea.