TEAHUPO’O, FRENCH POLYNESIA – AUGUST 19: Bede Durbidge during the Billabong Pro on August 19, 2014 … [+] in Teahupo’o, French Polynesia. (Photo by Will Hayden-Smith/ASP/World Surf League via Getty Images)
In our pursuit of perfection, we often forget that to err is human. In practical terms, any sense of failure can generate a tumultuous spiraling into shame, blame, and defensiveness. In the realm of organizations, mistakes are often treated with silence, swept under the rug as if they don’t exist. According to a recent summary of the error management literature published in the Annual Review of Psychology, there is an abundance of evidence that shows that employees frequently hesitate to report errors, fearing judgment or consequences.
This research also shows, however, that errors can be powerful catalysts for growth and learning. When we interpret mistakes as tarnished silver that should be hidden away from sight, there are fewer opportunities for errors to yield positive outcomes. At work, hiding errors not only risks the possibility of small mistakes compounding into catastrophic events down the line, it reduces the chance for others to learn from them which in turn, limits the ability for organizational systems to improve. This shift in perspective has big implications considering that according to worldmetics.org, human error is the attributed cause for an estimated 80% of workplace accidents.
What if, instead, we embraced errors as a natural byproduct of task execution? What if instead of taking errors personally as a reflection of our incompetence, we embraced our humanity instead? The idea that everyone makes mistakes and that we can learn from them is by all means, far from new. Carol Dweck’s seminal work on growth mindset, for example, has been circulated by Harvard Business Review and more recently, wellness expert Dr. Andrew Huberman. But, just because we know something is good for us, doesn’t mean that we follow through on the advice.
Recently, my colleagues and I set out to find out whether training could help people be more receptive to their errors. Anticipating that mindfulness, or non-judgmental present moment awareness, would enable the ability to be more open to errors, we placed employees and healthcare workers into three different groups: a mindfulness training, a Pilates group, and a no-treatment condition. Over 12 weeks, we followed over 200 employees as they reported their reactions to self-made errors and found that when people increased their mindfulness levels, they were less likely to hide their errors. After the training, the researchers interviewed the participants to learn more about their responses to errors. While many people expressed they knew errors weren’t “bad” per se, this knowledge was not sufficient to decrease error hiding. But, those that were mindful were able to extend more self-acceptance to themselves such that they could accept their imperfections, which enabled them to reduce error hiding.
What our research found was that even in situations where the culture might not be that open to errors, individuals who could cultivate more self-acceptance unlocked the door to authentic functioning—the ability to act in alignment with our true selves, flaws and all.
The Dalai Lama has said that “When we make mistakes, we cannot turn the clock back and try again. All we can do is use the present well.” This timeless wisdom invites us to embrace the present moment, recognizing that in our imperfections lies the opportunity for transformation.
To apply these ideas in everyday life, try these three steps to recover more quickly from your mistakes:
- Pay attention to your immediate reactions to your mistakes. What thoughts, feelings, and sensations do you notice in your body (sweaty palms, heart racing, butterflies?)
- Take a moment to acknowledge that you didn’t want this to happen, or you weren’t expecting the current circumstances. Errors can lead to positive outcomes but make space to validate the moment of error detection, which is likely to be undesirable.
- Offer yourself a compassionate word of wisdom the same way you would offer encouragement or condolences to a friend or child. If no words come to you, try: “you’re not in trouble, it’ll be ok”; or “you did your best, we’ll figure this out together”.
Mistakes are a common human experience but because they disrupt performance, individuals and also organizations often react with blame and defensiveness to errors. These negative reactions increase the likelihood of error hiding, which limits the ability to learn from mistakes. Mindfulness prompts us to engage with our imperfections in a more compassionate light because this state of mind applies a more receptive view towards life’s experiences – even the undesirable ones. Being kind to self when errors occurs, although it may seem oversimplified, helps prevent downward cycles of shame and enables individuals to be more accepting and forthcoming about their flaws.
