By Christian Crettaz
During our team interventions, we regularly observe individual or collective dysfunctions, resulting from poor management or assessment of an error. In most circumstances, these can lead to conflict. The three most common scenarios are: disputing the error, hiding the error, and persisting in the error.
Initially, it is beneficial to conduct a debriefing at the end of the session to understand the mechanisms and beliefs that generate this type of behavior. Subsequently, we aim to capitalize on this experience, find alternatives, define best practices, and apply these learnings to professional reality.
To Delve Deeper…
An error results from an oversight, inattention, or an inability. It should not be confused with a fault, which is intentional and results from malice.
The more organizations strive for optimization, perfection, and excellence, the more they will generate negative behaviors among their employees. For the most part, these behaviors result in an abdication of responsibility. They generate stress and fear, ultimately leading to a lack of initiative and creativity.
However, error possesses numerous virtues. It is part of learning. It allows us to find what we are not looking for, improve performance, and enable others to benefit from the experience. It reduces stress and increases well-being. Like Spencer Ferguson Silver, who, had he not made a mistake, would not have invented Post-it Notes.
Conversely, any form of punishment or sanction aimed at reprimanding the individuals involved will encourage them to hide their errors, minimize their impact, even deny them, and seek another culprit.
In several organizations, error management is developing. It enables individuals to thrive in a trusting environment. This new paradigm leads to the development of a certain form of autonomy and responsibility among employees. Some companies even go so far as to reward errors that have led to the best self-reflection.
While error is conceivable, failing to learn from it would then be a fault. For it to be profitable and to harness the benefits it entails, error necessitates the implementation of feedback. This process is crucial for guiding the individual, their team, and the organization in leveraging the experience.
To achieve this, the initiator must describe the context and circumstances in which they experienced and made the error. This feedback includes: the description of the situation, the behavior adopted, the observed impact, and the alternative considered. It will then be essential to draw conclusions from it and to take the necessary measures related to the insights gained from the feedback.
As this approach becomes widespread, this mode of operation will foster trust, respect, and non-judgment within the organization. The benefits of this new way of interacting are quantifiable. They encourage individuals to strengthen their individual responsibility and to increase their collective responsibility.
However, one must still be vigilant and acknowledge their error, because repeating it will not be considered a second error, but a deliberate choice.