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Accountability, done well, is a confidence-building, empowering, and results-producing way of being. If, however, accountability is doled out as a reprimand, you will miss its full, trust-building value.

Healthy accountability is about taking ownership to drive desired results. It is an invitation to rise above circumstances and navigate predicted and unforeseen conditions 鈥� sometimes quite creatively. There is an inherent commitment and sense of agency. It is an attitude, a belief system, and a way of being. To accept such responsibility, people must also be empowered with the resources, decision-making authority, and psychological safety to fail.

Leaders who foster a psychologically safe work environment find their teams perform better and experience less burnout. There are inherent interpersonal risks to be navigated in the workplace 鈥� and a culture that has psychological safety embedded into its DNA sets the tone for breakthroughs and resiliency. Psychological safety brings one capacity to ask questions, ask for help, speak one鈥檚 mind, be bold, be creative, take risks, and yes, make (and learn from) mistakes.

In my resiliency workshop, I ask participants, 鈥淗ow many of you like to make mistakes?鈥� As you might imagine, no hands are raised. We can intellectually understand that mistakes can be valuable pathways for growth, but we have an intrinsic, emotional aversion to them. Many high-performing professionals that I coach carry a propensity for perfectionism and the imposter syndrome.

Our aversion to mistake-making is both stress-inducing and counterproductive. No one wants to make a mistake; by definition, they are unintended. Yet, we understand that to err is human. If we can resist the urge to blame ourselves or others when a mistake happens, we can tap into that moment as a place of learning. In that space, emotional intelligence dictates we acknowledge the discomfort, frustration, and even shame while diving into a space of honest discovery. As we courageously confront facts, we can move forward with more confidence and clarity.

Harvard Business professor Amy Edmondson has researched this for decades and in her brilliant new book, 鈥淭he Right Kind of Wrong,鈥� she invites us to master the science of failing well. Learning from failure takes emotional fortitude and skill! It also requires being passionately curious, persistent, excellence-driven, and learning-motivated.

Edmondson outlines three failure archetypes 鈥� basic, complex, and intelligent. Basic failures are most preventable and often a result of inattentiveness. Complex failures have multiple causes and are inherent in our uncertain, interdependent, and fast-paced world. This is why, she argues, it is essential to catch the small problems before they escalate. Intelligent failures, or the 鈥榬ight kind of wrong,鈥� have four attributes: 1, they take place in new territory; 2, they are opportunity-driven; 3, they are informed by available knowledge, and 4, they are as small as possible while still providing valuable insights. In this framework, we think of mistakes through the lens of using time and resources wisely.

鈥淲ell, that didn鈥檛 work!鈥� We will make mistakes in unchartered territory. If our work environment is designed to acknowledge, own, and learn from them, we will generate a healthy momentum of progress. Following an error with a transparent, thoughtful, and deliberate analysis of why it happened will help your teams develop the next best course of action. Hiding our errors only feeds workplace drama and inefficiencies, putting an organization at risk for bigger failures.

We cannot let our fear prevent us from trying. Thoughtful experimentation is key to advancement. Invite teams to discuss what could go wrong in advance of a project. Normalize candid, respectful, and accountable discussions of mistakes. If people trust they can share their errors without risking their reputation, they will more likely offer up the misstep as a gesture of their commitment to the whole.

I had a client who had been repeatedly experiencing an unacceptably high number of quality errors in their lab. The general manager and quality assurance manager would conduct investigative meetings with the respective team members that resembled interrogations. When I questioned the GM, he exasperatedly exclaimed that failure was not an option. The lab鈥檚 reputation relied on a high level of quality assurance. When I interviewed team members, I discovered that not only did they dread those conversations, but they were not forthcoming with details as they feared for their jobs.

It came as no surprise that their approach was not reducing errors. In fact, the trend was an increase in mistakes, and without clarity as to why. I asked the GM and QA manager if they would take a different tact. They were resistant, but as I pointed out, the current strategy wasn鈥檛 working.

We changed the format and focus 鈥� asking questions that shifted from a blaming context to one of getting in front of the issue together. We asked the technicians about the obstacles they faced and what they believed was the root cause. This shift in tone tapped into their respective expertise, demonstrating respect for their knowledge, and inviting them to investigate remedies. We unearthed process and protocol deficiencies that were getting in the way of the intended quality program. As the team resolved those infrastructure issues, the relationships between operations and quality assurance became more unified.

Want to shift your relationship with mistake-making and accountability?

Include in your meetings honest conversations about missteps and lessons learned. You can ask questions such as, 鈥淲hat went well this week?鈥� and then 鈥淲hat mistake did you make and what did you learn from it?鈥� Be ready to model this to demonstrate it is safe to do so. Integrate the lessons with real change and celebrate growth. Connect the dots from an error to make a beneficial shift and renewed commitment across your organization.

When one chooses to engage with mistakes in a wholehearted, honest way, one is freed up to explore more deeply. It is an opportunity to hone your craft 鈥� from the technical aspects to the relational ones.

You may never look at failure the same way again!

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.