Why You Should Let Your Team Make Mistakes
No one likes making mistakes at work (or in life) but the way I see it, mistakes have great benefits and shouldn’t be looked down upon.
Mistakes not only help us learn but they also help us evolve. All you have to do to realise the importance of making mistakes is recall how many of them you’ve personally made up to this moment. Lots. And that’s okay because you’ve grown even if some of them were repeats.
A business environment is no different. You have to allow the team to make mistakes and be compassionate when they do. It’s simply part of their growth and therefore, the company’s.
Here are a few reasons why I think you should welcome mistakes instead of taking a scolding approach.
1. Knowledge will deepen
When someone makes a mistake, they’ll often immediately fear the consequences and greatly regret what they’ve done. When this is approached with kindness from management, the individual can let go of these negative feelings and allow themselves to learn from the situation and understand how to avoid it in the future. If the work environment is collaborative, you will then find them sharing this experience with co-workers which will deepen everyone’s knowledge since we also learn from other people’s mistakes, not just our own.
2. Confidence will build
When mistakes are followed by harsh criticism, we get discouraged and our fear of repetition (or worse, making new mistakes) intensifies. The more fear we have, the less confident we become which inadvertently turns us into hesitant initiative-averse individuals. On the other hand, when mistakes are followed with an understanding and supportive attitude, the individual’s confidence is boosted which means their initiative is enhanced.
3. Hastiness will decrease
People who make mistakes learn to slow down and pace themselves. They become more mindful with their actions and decision-making which also means they get better at problem solving.
4. Underlying problems will surface
When mistakes are made, you are made aware of what works and what doesn’t. As a leader, you should ask yourself objectively why this error occurred and what support you could’ve provided to mitigate this risk. For example, the systems used may be inviting of human error and therefore, it may be time to look into an upgrade.
Mistakes are healthy but the way you address them can be destructive. Keep this in mind and try to take a calm, compassionate and reasonable approach.