Failure is no Option

Facebook was hit at the beginning of the month. The total failure showed us how fragile and ultimately unreliable this monstrous network is. But what do we hear? It was human error. In this case, too, are we being told that the system is perfect and only humans are at fault?

When we set out to deal with error differently, we need to address the concept of psychological safety. As a leader, this involves creating an anxiety-free environment. The biggest hurdle in this endeavor is how to deal with the accusation.

A safety culture in which the learning potential of error is widely recognized cannot be lived if managers fail to lead themselves. The personal reaction to errors that become known is the key to success. But how can this be achieved if you yourself are under stress?

Have you noticed that you react differently to mistakes made by others? It is about mistakes whose consequences you feel. There are countless exogenous factors that influence our reaction. It's good to know that there are also influences that we can proactively manage.

It is in line with the management zeitgeist to see mistakes as learning opportunities. Why is it, one wonders, that so many people find it so difficult to put this noble approach into practice? There are two aspects to this that deserve special attention. In this blog, I address two main suspects.