Failure avoidance has been a prevalent narrative in business and personal environments. However, Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School, proposes a bold approach in her new book “The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.”
In this work, she challenges the traditional conception of failure, exploring how different types of mistakes can lead to valuable learning. Let’s dive into Edmondson’s perspective on the art of “getting it right” and its implications for success.
Demystifying the culture of failure
Amy Edmondson argues that society and organizations are failing to understand the nature of failure. She highlights three main obstacles: aversion, confusion and fear. Aversion refers to the automatic emotional response to failure, while confusion arises from the lack of a framework to differentiate types of failure.
Fear, in turn, is rooted in the social stigma associated with error. By demystifying these aspects, the author seeks to redefine our relationship with failure.
The importance of psychological safety
With more than 20 years of study in psychological safety in the workplace, Edmondson highlights the need to create a corporate culture that encourages the expression of opinions without fear of punishment.
To “get it right,” it’s crucial to provide a safe environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and perspectives. This openness is vital to success in an ever-changing world.
The three archetypes of failure: basic, complex and intelligent
Edmondson categorizes failures into three archetypes: basic failures, which have a single cause and are preventable. As an example, he mentions the 2020 incident at Citigroup, where accidental transfers of large sums of money occurred due to human error.
Complex failures result from the convergence of multiple factors, such as the Torrey Canyon disaster in the 1970s. The work also explores the concept of “intelligent failure”, in which mistakes are made when testing hypotheses in unknown scenarios, offering valuable lessons, e.g. of what happened with the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in the 1990s.
“The Right Kind of Wrong” not only challenges the conventional narrative about failure, but also offers an innovative look at how embracing mistakes can be the key to sustainable success.
Amy Edmondson invites us to rethink our relationship with failure, transforming it from a taboo into a powerful tool for driving innovation, growth, and resilience in the face of life and business challenges.
2023-12-24 19:57:55
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