Are We Missing Out on Excellence by Avoiding Mistakes? Let's Discuss the HBR Insights

We live in a world where we make icons out of a winner and shun the loser. In an organizational environment, since every initiative is connected to a cost, it creates additional pressure to succeed. In this search for success, are we losing out on excellence? Is learning lost when we ignore failure?

The Miracle of Making Mistakes

Here we share an HBR article where the reasons for dealing with a mistake differently are shared. This article is written by Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies. "The Miracle of Making Mistakes - Vineet Nayar - Harvard Business Review"

We understand that what looks good on paper is often a difficult intervention. Have you ever tried implementing an environment like this? What were the resistances that you faced? How did it work for you in the short and long term? I did come across a similar situation. But before that, I wait to read your words.

Regards,

Very nice article. In our practical lives, whether at home or in organizations, we are bound to make mistakes. We learn and flourish with new things. When we talk about learning from mistakes and not repeating them, it means we are gaining practical exposure to deal with particular situations and moving on to new things.

Instances from My Organization

One of our fitters, who has rich experience, used to fear opening a machine under breakdown. When asked about the reason, he always cited that he feared whether he would correct it or not. He had a fear of the unknown and lost his confidence. His HOD and I counseled him and gave him a free hand in such situations. After that, he not only opened the machines but also innovated new ways to increase their efficiency. He might have made one, two, or three mistakes initially but developed confidence forever. Such incidents happen regularly in organizations. For improvements and innovations, we have to give employees the freedom to work and learn for further improvements.

Role of HR Professionals

As HR professionals, we deal with many people daily. We make decisions based on situations. Some of our decisions prove to be wrong. Then we make right and innovative decisions in similar situations. It means our mistakes are turning points to correct ourselves and be innovative.

“Learn from mistakes. It does not mean that we always commit mistakes to learn. It means learning through experiences and not repeating the same mistakes in the future. Our life is very short; always try to learn from others' mistakes also.”

Regards,