Don't Punish Mistakes
Have you seen that person? You know the one, in a real or perceived position of leadership or authority. And they just can’t help themselves when an opportunity arises to punish someone for taking a risk and screwing something up.
In our experience this behavior is usually rooted in insecurity or the inability to provide better options and/or coach a subordinate through a thorny problem.
Professional growth is about discovery and learning. Mistakes are an inherent part of the learning process.
When you punish mistakes what is actually learned? How to avoid punishment, perhaps? Is that growth?
Innovation thrives on experimentation and that means making mistakes along the way.
Innovation thrives on experimentation and that means making mistakes along the way.
We believe that punishing mistakes kills innovation because people stop taking risks. Innovation thrives on experimentation and that means making mistakes along the way. Fear shuts that down.
But more importantly, punishing mistakes erodes psychological safety, trust in leadership, and team morale — which are essential for high-performing teams.
Do you find as a leader you are punishing your team when they make mistakes? Let's chat - you can do better in leading your team to grow. Reach out to info@pachydermos.com.