Mistake-tastic Culture: 3 Tips to Strengthen Learning from Mistakes in Your Organization

In 1968, a researcher at 3M set out to produce a new super-strong adhesive. The result was a weak adhesive that did not lose its adhesive properties even after repeated use. The adhesive was useless for the purpose for which it was produced, but the researcher nevertheless shared his new development with the rest of the company. Several years later, a colleague took up the invention and based on this glue, the well-known yellow Post-it note saw the light of day. A mistake, shared with colleagues, ended up becoming a world-famous product.

To err is human. Human mistakes can provide the basis for new product development, as in the example above, but mistakes are also a fantastic source of learning and improvement. If the company culture dictates that people keep their mistakes to themselves, the learning effect disappears and there is a risk that the same mistakes will be repeated over and over again.

If a mistake is to have value, we must learn from it afterwards. How can things be done differently next time to get the result you want? What did we learn from this mistake? What could be better next time?

We need to be confident that sharing our mistakes will not have negative consequences for us as employees. Managers can share their own examples in order to defuse the danger, and you can, for example, highlight and celebrate "Mistakes of the Month" together. This will help employees dare to speak up if something doesn't go according to plan.

Information about reported errors must be available to everyone. Reports and overviews should be stored in an open internal system where highlights are shared through the intranet or in meetings. Structured documentation of errors provides a good basis for strategic and operational decisions. Insight into other people's mistakes contributes to learning across an organization.

Dare to actively ask for feedback from employees, customers and suppliers on what can be improved. It is also important that those who report errors receive specific feedback afterwards. What was done, what improvements did this error lead to. Finding and communicating positive results increases the motivation to continue reporting.