Here's how you can navigate failure and communicate with colleagues and superiors effectively.

Physicians will NEVER embrace failure. It is too inculcated in us that perfection is the only allowable outcome. Even if it weren't so ingrained, the system's response to mistakes or failures by physicians would be devastating because most of us are self selected for perfectionism. The best that can be hoped is that we will learn to accept that mistakes or failure will happen at some point in every physician's career, and that even worse results can happen if failure is ignored or denied. It may be best if such an event occurs early in a career, when empathic management can be a part of the learning process and not catastrophic, career ending events. The best thing we might receive early on is permission to fail while training.

To navigate failure and communicate effectively with colleagues and superiors, acknowledge the issue openly and take responsibility. Provide a clear, honest analysis of what went wrong and outline steps for resolution. Maintain a positive, proactive attitude, and focus on learning from the experience while seeking constructive feedback and support.

Acknowledging and accepting failure must be in perspective. The lessons learnt with a critical review are invaluable. Combined with the ability to overcome the disappointment and makes for improved preparedness in the future

Failures in high-stakes situations like patient care may include a poor outcome, patient harm, and/or a medical/surgical error. It is very difficult for physicians to "embrace failure" because we know this means our patients or the people they love have been harmed. We can experience immense shame and beat ourselves up. It's important for physicians to hear that other people have been in similar situations. "I've been there too" is a powerful message to hear from a fellow physician. Additionally, we need to know that this specific failure doesn't mean we are bad doctors. This helps to mitigate shame and foster a growth mindset.

Active listening must include full attention especially with the mobile technology.i.e. Phones should be switched off so no distraction with positive encouragement and pointed questions after the full narrative is presented

Constructive feedback must be balanced with greater emphasis on the positive aspects and less on the negative. The negative can be explorer by asking ‘Shat would you do differently?’ This allows for positive reflection.

Constructive feedback must be balanced with greater emphasis on the positive aspects and less on the negative. The negative can be explorer by asking ‘Shat would you do differently?’ This allows for positive reflection.

It's easy to quickly dive into the negative - and physicians are especially good at this. However, it is helpful to begin with "What went well?" before asking, "What would we do differently in the future?" It is rare that EVERYTHING went wrong and EVERYTHING was a mistake. Don't accidentally lose sight of what is working in the effort to improve.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial for effective communication, especially after something has gone wrong. Foster a culture of learning (psychological safety) from mistakes without fear of judgment, reinforcing that failures are growth opportunities. It's critical to recognize and manage your own emotions to maintain composure. If you stay calm, others can stay calm. Understand and acknowledge the physician’s emotions. Use empathetic statements and active listening to validate their feelings. Focus on behaviors and outcomes, not personal attributes. Encourage solution-focused dialogue.