Nothing ventured, nothing gained – advantages of a constructive error culture

Fear of making mistakes and its consequences

German companies and their employees do not exactly shine in international comparison when it comes to their readiness to take risks – according to a much-discussed study by the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Even though the World Economic Forum counts creativity, competencies of problem solving, and active learning amongst those employee skills most highly sought after in 2022, the majority of people like playing it safe. Tendentially, we avoid unknown paths, prefer not taking responsibility, and stick to well-established thought and behavioral patterns.

This kind of behavior does, of course, have reasons. The most important one might be the negative error culture that is prevalent in many companies. Sure, mistakes consume resources and take effort to correct – nobody enjoys making them. Especially when the company is under high pressure from the outside world, it seems like we cannot afford a lack of knowledge or any wrong steps. Employees fear that mistakes might demonstrate a lack of competence and endanger their position. Also, they often point to larger structural issues. In case they uncover colleagues’ or supervisors’ shortcomings, they frequently have social consequences.

As a result, German companies keep upholding an ideal of infallibility, individuals and teams do not do anything that has not been checked and re-confirmed numerous times by everyone involved. Creativity, innovation, and the willingness to tackle problems are forced to take the back seat.

What does constructive error culture mean?

In contrast to the situation described above, a constructive error culture does not only permit mistakes but even welcomes them. It understands mistakes to be unavoidable, necessary, and even useful for long-term development. It is built on practices that help thoroughly process errors. It cultivates open, constructive communication about mistakes as well as respectful interactions between people.

All this requires an open mindset that does not connect errors and risks with failure but understands them as opportunities. Also, this rests on an underlying readiness to learn, which means there is a willingness to acknowledge mistakes as valuable sources of information and inspiration for the future. True to the motto of author Samuel Beckett: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Of course, nobody says that risks should be taken in an uninformed or break-neck way. However, if one never dares to walk new paths, not even every once in a while or on the basis of one’s experience, gut feeling and collected facts, then something is not going right.

No innovation without risks

In the end, a fear culture has only disadvantages: it fosters inhumane perfectionism that stunts individuals’ capability to act and decide as well as a company’s performance. Also, it exacerbates the consequences of errors since, tendentially, the latter get swept under the rug or are processed insufficiently. This then makes it possible that problems keep growing in the dark – only to explode in an uncontrolled way later. Therefore, the first argument for a constructive error culture is a purely pragmatic one: Mistakes will happen anyway, therefore it makes sense to establish processes of coping with them instead of sticking to a tactic of denial.

However, companies that learn to foster a constructive culture of error management and experimentation do not just prevent negative consequences, they also gain advantages. When they open up to risks and possible failure, they also open up to new ways to success. More humaneness and respect will help improve the work climate. Employees will develop the necessary motivation and psychological security that forms the growth medium of creativity and innovation. This is how development becomes possible: of people and teams, on the one hand, and of better offers and solutions for customers on the other.

Openness towards mistakes allows for a quicker reaction to the market and is therefore essential for a company’s future viability.

The path to better error management

So there are many arguments for establishing a constructive error culture. How do people and companies get there, however?

The first step is practicing admitting mistakes and actively asking questions. How did they happen, why did people react this way? What is the background, what were the causes, and what conclusions can be drawn from this? In this context, it is important to distinguish between intentional and unintentional mistakes, especially when it comes to sanctions. Tools for documenting steps of the work process help create more transparency there. What is also helpful is building small trust exercises that foster respect and create team spirit into everyday work life.

Leadership plays a central role in all of this. Not only do leaders need to recognize the value of a constructive error culture and communicate it to others again and again. They should also lead by example and react to mistakes in a confident and reflected way. Furthermore, HR and management should be actively involved, especially when it comes to developing structured approaches to processing errors.

However, if no headway is made in the long run, there is also the option of having an Agile Coach conduct a practice-oriented cultural analysis. What also helps is subject-specific trainings for employees, e.g. about the Agile mindset, Agile methods and tools, Agile project management, or Design Thinking. Becoming multipliers of Agile work, they can make an active contribution to carrying and shaping a constructive error culture.