Review a miscue

Smart people will learn from their mistakes

LONDON One year after taking office, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked to reflect on his government’s handling of the pandemic.

He admitted that “maybe there are things we could have done differently.”

Making mistakes, as William Berman at Suffolk University points out, is not only part of human nature, it’s also an important aspect of how we learn.

When we have to deal with something completely new, mistakes are almost inevitable, and all the more terrible currently because they may cost lives.

We’re all having to make difficult decisions right now, from the personal (how can I widen my job prospects?), to family and friendship groups (how do we become fitter and healthier?), or companywide (how can we downsize enough to keep going?).

At every level, we’re vulnerable to error.

How can you use what you learn from the mistakes you make to help you do better?

1.

Encourage open dialogue and a positive atmosphere. Harvard professor Rosabeth Kanter stresses the importance of regular communication and mutual respect when you’re working with others. Even when you’re problem-solving alone, if you dismiss an idea as “ridiculous” or “unrealistic” before considering its potential, you’ll soon stop coming up with any ideas at all. When working with others, Kanter cautions against what she calls the “death spiral” — allowing an atmosphere of secrecy, isolation, blame and helplessness, because such attitudes kill initiative and trust.

2.

Own your mistakes. Albert Wu and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, asked 114 internal medicine house officers (medical registrars) to describe their most significant clinical mistake. The doctors who accepted personal responsibility for their error, rather than blaming it on external factors such as job overload, and then discussed the error with colleagues were more likely to report constructive changes in clinical practice.

3.

Gather information wisely. Samuel Hunter and colleagues at Penn State found errors among business leaders were most likely when they attended only to information that supported their current views. Gather information constantly, from reliable sources only, and include at least one source that challenges your opinion.

4.

Make specific, measurable suggestions. Hunter found non-specific directives made further errors more likely. “Lose weight” is too vague, whereas “lose a pound a week” allows progress to be measured.

5.

Monitor change. Keep regular accurate records of the measures you’ve created.

6.

Check in with yourself and/or meet with relevant others regularly and often. Be prepared to make new, measurable changes in light of updated information and/or failure of current procedures — without, of course, blaming or demeaning anyone.

Hard work? No doubt. Continual? Absolutely. But taking these steps will mean the difference between demoralizing failure and positive progress.