The Power Of Failure: Employee Edition

Failure used to be thought of as a four-letter word, but it’s been reclaimed in the past few years. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen plenty of articles proclaiming the power of making mistakes, and I’ve even written one or two myself. But most people (including me) have largely focused on the lessons that can be learned from failure in entrepreneurship or in personal growth efforts. So I want to bring something new to the table. What about employee mistakes? Is it also important to create a company culture of individuals who know they have room to try – and fail? I say yes. Here’s why. 

Releasing The Reins

Failure has even become a lot of things, even bordering on being trendy. But I get why; it’s one of life’s greatest teachers. Even though slipping up can feel awful, create repercussions and even hurt your company, your loved ones or yourself, we each have to go through it in order to learn and grow. And in the business world, people recognize that. Entrepreneurs today are lauded for owning their biggest errors and then making better decisions the next time. 

When it comes to employees, however, you’ll find a bit more radio silence. It’s ok if the top dog messes up, but who wants to let go of control and allow team members to do the same? Many business owners fear this type of company culture would end in chaos, so they micromanage or expect something close to perfection. But unless you want to be a solopreneur, you have to get comfortable with the discomfort of releasing the reins of your business. It will be tough at times, and mistakes will be made. Yet, it’s key to individual growth within your walls – and company growth, too. 

Demonstrate A Growth Mindset… And Other Tips

So, what does empowering employees to fail actually look like? You set clear guidelines and expectations, offer support… and then let go. Sometimes, this will go well. But other times, you’ll have to sit back and watch an employee struggle or get negative feedback because they made a mistake. Let them have that learning experience instead of rescuing them from the unease.

Of course, there are a few ways to do this successfully without ruining your customers’ perception of your business or your revenue. Here are some tips: 

• Start small – Don’t let a new employee take on a critical role in a make-or-break meeting with an investor, or throw an inexperienced team member into a tense situation with an important customer. In these scenarios, the stakes are too high and the aftermath can be far too damaging. Instead, give employees smaller opportunities to spread their wings. Let someone run your next internal meeting, handle an inquiry call with a new potential customer or estimate their department’s ideal budget. These are all opportunities to try that won’t cause irreparable harm even if dramatic failure occurs.

• Support amply and often – Empowering employees doesn’t mean you give them a task and then wash your hands of the whole deal. Think of yourself instead as a mentor. It’s crucial you set clear expectations and give your team members the basics they need to satisfactorily fulfill your request. Then, you step back and let them give it their best. But they should know they can always come to you with questions or concerns, and aren’t being sent out to sea without any lifeboats.

• Model a growth mindset – Failure itself isn’t really what’s admirable; it’s the ability to be resilient, pick yourself back up and learn something from the mistake(s) that is. This is where a growth mindset comes in, and you need to embody it in order for your employees to embrace it too. This involves being open about your own failures, learning from them and then trying again (publicly, when possible). Your past mistakes don’t dictate your future, and neither should your employees’ dictate theirs. 

It can be scary to encourage your employees to try in new areas, knowing that they can – and will – make mistakes along the way. But it’s essential to give them the freedom to do so. It’s the only way to help them learn and grow, leading to an outcome of empowered employees and a stronger company. 

Have you instilled this freedom to fail into your employees? What’s your greatest success story – or failure – with it? I’d love to hear.