When is it okay to fail?

It has been well documented, and discussed, that failure can be a powerful tool for growth and learning. However, there are industries where failure cannot be tolerated due to the significant consequences that may result. So when is it okay to fail, and when it is it not?

There are industries where failure can have life-threatening or catastrophic consequences, such as in healthcare, aviation, oil and gas or nuclear energy. Failure is not acceptable in these high hazard environments, where the margin for error is slim, and even the smallest error can have devastating effects. In these cases, strict rules (often referred to as ‘life saving’), procedures, and safety measures are put in place to either eliminate, or at least mitigate the risk of failure.

However, there are contexts where risk taking and failure are acceptable, and even promoted, such as in entrepreneurship, creative endeavours, or personal development. Failure can be a valuable learning experience.  These failures can help develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and a growth mindset, and produce innovations through experimentation.  It can also provide valuable feedback that can guide future decisions and actions.

Amy Edmondson, a prominent researcher in the field of psychological safety and organisational culture, has extensively studied the concept of failure and the importance of creating a culture where employees feel safe to speak up about mistakes and failures. She identified three types of failure:

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Basic Failures:

• These are failures that occur due to avoidable mistakes or poor processes in predictable situations.  They exist in a known context and typically can be foreseen and avoided through proper training, being situationally aware, or following established procedures.

Complex Failures:

• These happen in complicated systems where a combination of factors come together in unexpected ways. Complex failures arise from interactions in and with processes or systems that can deliver unexpected outcomes and events.  Although variables are not low, as with basic failures, the context they take place in is relatively familiar (unlike intelligent failure.

Intelligent Failures:

• These occur when there is experimentation, innovation, or exploration in uncertain or new environments. Intelligent failures are considered valuable because they occur in pursuit of new knowledge or progress, especially when pushing boundaries or venturing into the unknown. These failures are often necessary to drive innovation and learning.

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Amy Edmondson argues that preventable failures are the only type that is truly unacceptable (‘blameworthy’) and are failures that could have been avoided through applying known best practice, following procedure or protocol, applicable skill and knowledge. As with all preventable failures, and with intelligent failures, all possible known risks are assessed, so that possible controls and mitigations are identified.  However, intelligent failures may take place in a novel context, where not all risks are evident, but the potential is understood.

There is much to be learned from failure, but this requires a culture where both psychological safety and high standards coexist, allowing for failures to be recognised and to be disclosed, and a growth mindset to problem solve and formulate solutions based on learning.

Ultimately, the key is to approach failure with a growth mindset, viewing it as an opportunity for learning and improvement rather than a reflection of your abilities or worth. By embracing failure as a natural part of the learning process, you can navigate both the acceptable and unacceptable aspects of failure with grace and resilience.

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