We all make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less scary to make.
Making mistakes can feel especially scary when:
the mistake is costly (this could be in terms of potential harm, finances, time, attention, trust, etc.)
the cost of owning up to the mistake is high
In many circumstances, mistakes aren’t failure, they’re feedback. Mistakes are an inherent part of the process of learning and innovation. As Albert Einstein said, “A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”
If you want to encourage learning and innovation, then encourage mistakes.
If you want to help people get over any fear they may have of making mistakes, consider how you can reduce the cost of both making mistakes and owning up to them.
