Would one of your team members come with you to share a huge mistake?

If the answer is yes, well done.  You’ve given them permission to tell you when they’ve messed up. They know that as long as they come to you with a solution to the problem and they demonstrate how they’ve learned from the problem, that you would never yell at them, be furious with them or embarrass them.

Great leaders know that permission to make mistakes creates an environment where people are more likely to be accountable for errors rater than sweeping them under the carpet for you to find later.  The latter is costly and can sometimes cause irreversible damage to your brand.

We know that the earlier you know about the problem the quicker it gets fixed and the more experienced your team members become. Creating an environment where mistakes are shared gives you the opportunity to tweak your systems and procedures which ideally removes the likelihood of the mistake being repeated twice. 

A perfect outcome can only be achieved in an working environment which encourages full transparency without the risk of embarrassment or worse the loss of a job. Remember to keep your cool and to remind yourself that you didn’t get to where you are without making mistakes too. It’s how we use these experiences to make it easier for the lives of others that makes all the difference.