And how does that improve your company’s creative thinking?
At a network event, I heard a manager sigh: ‘shit never travels up. When I hear a problem, precious time has lost and the issue has become even bigger. And then it’s my job to fix a problem that shouldn’t even have been a problem at the beginning. I wish people had the audacity to speak up sooner.’
So, as a team manager or a professional, what can you do? How do you create a culture where it’s safe to speak up and where it’s even rewarded that you report on your mistakes? How to combine it with high performance?
Let’s take a closer look.. How to move forward without trying new things? How to try something new without failing. Most of the times, failing offers an excellent learning curve. But how do you create a ‘failing’ environment in a company where performance is key? How do you balance striving for results with open communication about mistakes?
‘No art without mistakes.
No success without failure.
No innovation without a trashcan stuffed with ‘bad’ ideas.’
The answer: just culture.
“Just Culture” refers to a system of shared accountability in which organizations are accountable for the systems they have designed and for responding to the behaviors of their employees in a fair and just manner.
Two industries are leading by example when we talk about the implementation of ‘just culture’: aviation and health care. Not by coincidence, two industries where people’s lives depend on how well employees put company’s safety guidelines into practice.
The key ingredients of ‘just culture’:
The start: where are you now? How is your organization performing?
Ask yourself the following questions, rate them from 1-10.
- How do you know if you are in a blame or no blame culture? Think about: how comfortable do you feel to speak to your coworkers and your boss about a mistake?
- Do you create a safe space yourself for your coworkers to be open about ‘failure’?
- No-brainer: Implementation is key on all levels of the organization; How does your leadership team model the no blame culture in your company?
- How open are you about your own mistakes towards your colleagues?
- Is a report on mistakes stimulated (ownership of individuals)? Is the report followed by actions for improvement?
More information: A useful framework to measure accountability in your team is ‘The 5 dysfunctions of a team’ from Lencioni. It’s not exactly the same as a no blame approach, but it gives a good indication of ownership and open communication : The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Team Assessment Workbook, Patrick M Lencioni |… | bol
Are no blame processes set up, monitored and implemented?
- Is there a report on mistakes integrated in procedures (ownerships of a company)?
- Is there an independently operating division that handles errors and incidents?
- Are all employees aware of this report and related procedures?
- Is the procedure for logging ‘mistakes’ part of onboarding, training and evaluation of performance?
- Is continuous improvement monitored by all teams and levels in your organization?
- Is this process integrated in other processes within your organisation? Question to ask yourself: Is there an implemented lessons learned or continuous improvement methodology and follow up on lessons learned actions in all activities of your organisation?
- No blame is a constant process: review and iterate regularly
A framework to explain a no blame approach, is the Swiss cheese model: when an issue pops up, the cause is situated in a chain of events. By identifying and fixing the ‘wholes’, you can improve the outcome of a process. (Source: Michigan Technology University)
How to distinct ‘the good’ from ‘the bad’
- Protect your company from parties with suspect motives: be sure to protect your data. No blame is fine, but you don’t want it in the newspaper. Be clear towards your employees which information about the company can be shared with whom, how and when. And which behaviour is expected. Make sure that there are clear guidelines and policies and that training is offered and kept up-to-date.
- It’s about trust and clear communication: Ensure that people are aware of their rights and obligations after an incident has occurred. What can they expect, who can they talk to, and who should they not talk to.
In your safety and quality trainings, give your employees guidance about potential scenario’s and how to deal with these scenario’s. Repeat these information and make it accessible on intranet. Inform management to monitor closely. - Balance accountability with learning: make a distinction between accidental mistakes and negligence. Set up a procedure to monitor the difference like the example below (aviation):
Source: Pilots who ask why – 2023
Conclusion: if you want to stimulate creative thinking and innovation in your organization, start with creating a culture where it is safe to admit mistakes and where the focus is on learning from experience, instead of the old school blaming game.
Wanted: best practices Curious. Which companies or initiatives you know, implement this ‘Just Culture’ principle? You’re welcome to share your thoughts.
