The freedom to fail

The Freedom to Fail

When his employers, 3M, asked Spencer Silver to invent the world's stickiest glue he failed. In fact, he ended up with the world's most un-sticky glue. His un-sticky glue recipe sat doing nothing for a few years until a colleague came up with the idea for "Post-it notes" which needed un-sticky glue in order to work. Had Silver worked in a company where failure was not tolerated and mistakes were hidden, his colleague would not have known about the un-sticky glue and we would not have "post-it notes" today.

Innovation only thrives in environments where mistakes are not only tolerated but encouraged.

It is common sense that people will be more creative when they are allowed to get it wrong. Our first answer tends not to be the best. But if we are judged purely on it and not encouraged to freely brainstorm, our ability to originate new ideas will be severely curtailed. Also, just as in the case of 3M, sometimes the failures actually solve another problem altogether.

In any case, mistakes are inevitable. Instead of penalising those who make them, it is much more useful to use them as a learning experience. What would have prevented failure? What could we do differently next time? Is there a more fundamental problem with this system?

Equally, just because something works, doesn't mean it's a success. Creating an environment where mistakes are encouraged also means creating an environment where success is analysed. Ask questions like: What worked well? Was it luck or good judgement that resulted in success here? Did success move us closer to our goals? Were all contributors acknowledged?

Blurring the distinction between success and failure encourages openness and cooperation. Anyone who is a fan of American football will have heard of Don Shula, a leading coach in the NFL who said, "I didn't get consumed by losses and I didn't get overwhelmed by successes"

One of the challenges of leadership is admitting mistakes without losing respect. However, leaders who don't cover up their mistakes and acknowledge failure, just as Don Shula did, show that they are human. Other can identify with them without questioning their competence.

Mistakes and motivation
Recent research at Harvard University indicated that the more pressure people were under the less likely they were to think creatively. Although when asked the participants in the study said they thought they were MORE creative under pressure, the results did not back this up.

Whether in the workplace or outside, the pressure to get it right actually results in more mistakes, zaps creativity, discourages individuals and undermines motivation.

And the freedom to fail could have outcomes that far exceed expectations. As Theodore Roosevelt put it so beautifully:
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though chequered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."