Be happy to fail

We learn from mistakes – more than from our successes. We know it and yet we try to avoid mistakes and feel bad, if they happen. For this reason it is so difficult to implement a culture of continuous improvement and learning in our companies.

A true culture of continuous improvement will encourage people to try out new things and learn from the mistakes that happen. However, there are a couple of important additional messages that need to be sent while implementing this type of culture

👉🏻 It is not a free ticket to act stupid and without consideration of the consequences. If you endanger yourself or others, do not do it.
👉🏻 It comes with the obligation to learn – not only from your own mistakes, but also from those of others. Else we make the same mistakes as often as our number of employees.

However, even considering these „limitations“ to the freedom of making mistakes, it still leaves us with a lot of leeway for experimentation and learning and – most importantly – with a positive attitude and communication around making mistakes.

Many management methods like lean management, six sigma etc. provide toolboxes that support continuous improvement. However, without the right culture people will not be truly encouraged to use the tools.

Have you worked in a true culture of continuous improvement already?