Celebrate & Embrace Failure!

Norwegians like to think that openness and trust are values embedded in society, which help us address concerns and correct mistakes and what is wrong.  However, in the past year alone, there have been several news stories about whistleblowing cases that were not handled properly, concerning corrupt police, Covid19 outbreaks, mosque attacks or #Metoo cases. And this is unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. Today, October 13, is the international #DayForFailure. We all need a reminder to become better at sharing the mistakes and worries we have, and not least listening to and supporting others who do the same!

Nobody wants to make a mistake, but we all do. Every day, in fact every hour, we all make more mistakes. The aviation industry may be the ones with the best overview on this topic. Pilots make about 5 mistakes an hour. Do you think you are better? Most people find it difficult to admit their own mistakes. In addition, we are reluctant to address other people's mistakes, especially if the mistake is a little sensitive.

So what do we really mean by "failure"? A failure is when we do not meet what is expected, required or desired. There may be innocent mistakes; like forgetting the original in the copier or misunderstanding what a colleague is saying. But mistakes can also be violations of the law or abuse of power. Mistakes do not have to lead to a disaster or cause an accident. But if they remain unaddressed, they can contribute to more serious incidents, accidents and crises.

In fact, in most crises and accidents, people have been aware of the mistakes long before things went wrong. The explosion in Beirut is a typical example of such an accident, where someone had repeatedly tried to get those responsible to do something about the enormous amount of ammonium nitrate stored in the port warehouse. In fact, most accidents could have been averted and most crises limited if one had been better at dealing with failures early on.

We should greet whistleblowers as heroes. Such a hero was actually called Blower. Captain Blower warned the management of his shipping company that the crew could not know if the bow gate was open or closed when they stood on the bridge of the ship. He himself had sailed twice with the bow visor wide open. Had the management listened to Captain Blower, the "Herald of Free Enterprise" would most likely only have been the name of a ferry, and not associated with an accident in which 193 people lost their lives.

Part of the problem is that most people have an aversion to failures. The ripple effects of this are that we neither admit nor talk about them. This makes it more difficult to correct and learn from them. When we are finally forced to address it, we quickly become clumsy and primitive in the way we address mistakes. The way #Metoo whistleblowers were handled in various organizations are examples of this. When you do not handle mistakes in a good way, it becomes even more difficult to address mistakes at a later time. This can contribute to underreporting.

We should be open about mistakes, not only to prevent crises and accidents. Perfectionism is becoming a public disease. Both young girls and boys set higher and higher demands on themselves and their own achievements. Not meeting expectations causes shame and humiliation. The result can be lower self-esteem, stress and shallower relationships with both friends and loved ones. It's easy to believe that people will judge you if you share your own mistakes. There is a good chance that the exact opposite will happen. When a person is open about their own mistakes, they are no less trusted. On the contrary.

The irony of it all is that those who are seen as the most successful are often the ones who embrace failures - not perfectionism. Authors such as JK Rowling and Elizabeth Gilbert believe this is the key to performing as a writer over time.

According to a US survey, Google, Netflix, Amazon, and SpaceX are all in the top 10 list of job seekers in technology companies. They are large, innovative and successful. But they also have other things in common; entrepreneurs and CEOs who have a special relationship to failure. It's not that they accept mistakes - they love them! Mistakes are actually an important part of their strategy and culture to ensure innovation and flexibility. In the business world, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has recently published a book about their corporate culture, "No Rules Rules". One of the keys is openness about mistakes to contribute to creativity. The list of business leaders who openly embrace mistakes is much longer.

Failures can also lead to new discoveries. Alexander Fleming returned to work after vacation on September 3, 1928. He discovered development of mold on some samples he had in the office. When he studied them under a microscope, it turned out that the mold had killed the bacteria in the samples, which triggered the discovery of penicillin.

In other words, we should embrace mistakes as if they were our best source of learning. In a culture that is open about mistakes, you are more creative, innovative and resistant to crises and accidents. In an environment where people talk openly about mistakes, people who commit crimes and abuse power will face early opposition. You can help to admit your mistakes, and to maturely listen to others who share their mistakes. You may both learn something, get to know yourself and others better, and even have a good laugh. In other words: People: Embrace Failure!