Leverage Mistakes as Opportunities for Improvement
Workplace mistakes are common, and for many employees, leaders, and teams, completely inevitable. Normalizing mistakes helps create a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable to grow and share their ideas. This environment, where errors are not penalized outright, but instead seen as a chance for growth, fosters a culture of psychological safety, and in turn, makes people more competent and confident to do their best work.
Mistakes: Setbacks or Springboards?
For many of us, the word ‘mistake’ carries a negative connotation, especially in the workplace. Mistakes can be seen as failures, incompetence, or as setbacks to progress. However, when viewed through the lens of psychological safety, mistakes are reframed as a key part of the process. Consider this quote by professor and psychological safety researcher, Amy Edmondson:
"Psychological safety is not about avoiding mistakes, but about creating a culture where people feel safe to make them, learn from them, and grow."
In a psychologically safe environment, mistakes are not just tolerated—they are expected and leveraged as opportunities for improvement. This shift in perspective encourages continuous learning, fosters innovation, and is a springboard for team performance.
Every Mistake Should Be Psychologically Safe
Consider these two workplace scenarios and think about which one reflects a psychologically safe environment (and which does not). Pay special attention to how the leaders in each situation handle mistakes and how their response impacts their employees:
Scenario 1
Context: Kara, a marketing coordinator, mistakenly sent an email campaign with incorrect information and links to a large group of clients.
Leader's Response: When Kara realized her mistake, she immediately informed her manager, Lauren. Instead of reacting with frustration, Lauren calmly acknowledged the situation and thanked Kara for bringing it to her attention. She reassured her that mistakes happen and that what's important is finding an effective (but quick!) solution. Lauren suggested they send a follow-up email to the clients, clarifying the correct information and updating the links, and offered to draft it together. She also used this opportunity to discuss how they could improve the review process to prevent similar mistakes in the future. During the conversation, Lauren shared a story about a time she made a similar error, emphasizing that it's a normal part of learning and growth.
Outcome: Kara felt relieved and appreciated Lauren’s supportive approach. She became more confident in taking ownership of her work and was motivated in the marketing process moving forward.
Scenario 2
Context: John, a sales representative, accidentally over-promised a feature to a potential client that the product couldn’t deliver.
Manager’s Response: When the client raised concerns about the promised feature, John’s manager, Karen, immediately called John into her office. She criticized him harshly, stating that his mistake could cost the company a valuable client. Karen expressed disappointment and told John that he should have known better. She didn't offer any guidance on how to handle the situation with the client and dismissed John’s attempts to explain what had happened. Instead, Karen left him to figure out how to fix the problem on his own, without any support.
Outcome: John left her office embarrassed and anxious about his job. He became more hesitant in his sales interactions, afraid of making another mistake. This also created a sense of fear among his colleagues, who saw how Karen handled the situation and began to avoid taking initiative or risks in their roles.
One example shows how supportive leadership can create a culture where people feel open to learning and growing, while the other highlights how lacking psychological safety can lead to fear, lower confidence, and harm team dynamics. These examples make it clear how crucial psychological safety is in the workplace.
Leaders Foster Psychological Safety Through Embracing Mistakes
Leaders play a crucial role in shaping how mistakes are perceived within their teams. When leaders model a healthy response to mistakes, it sets the tone for the entire organization. Modeling vulnerability by openly sharing their own mistakes and the lessons they've learned from them is essential for leaders of all levels to show that everyone, regardless of their position, can make mistakes and grow from them. As Dr. Brene Brown says, vulnerability simply means uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. It’s putting ourselves out there with no guarantee that we won’t suffer in some way because of it. And because of that, it’s a courageous act.
It is also important to encourage open dialogue where team members feel comfortable discussing their mistakes without fear of retaliation. Regular team meetings or debriefs can facilitate these conversations, allowing individuals to share what went wrong and what they learned. Additionally, avoiding a blame culture is crucial. Instead of assigning blame when mistakes occur, focus on understanding the root cause. This approach fosters a problem-solving mindset and encourages collaboration among team members.
Boost Your Team with Psychological Safety
You can't achieve innovation without making mistakes. The goal isn't to avoid mistakes altogether but to normalize that mistakes can be made - and those made during experimentation, practice and testing are actually good mistakes!
Normalizing mistakes is not just about being carefree or accepting failure—it’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and psychological safety. When mistakes are treated as valuable learning experiences, they can drive both personal and organizational growth. Leaders who model vulnerability, encourage open dialogue, and create learning opportunities from mistakes are paving the way for a more resilient, innovative, and successful team.
When people feel meaningfully connected and psychologically safe at work, they bring their best ideas and effort to every challenge. Join us Thursday, September 26 & Friday, September 27, 2024 for The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety™ Public Workshop to learn more about this essential training and improve the culture at your organization:
