Why should you let your team make mistakes?
Teamwork
Scrum
Overview
The fear of making a mistake can be a Project Managerâs everyday companion, especially for the youngest of us in terms of seniority. Itâs not a surprise, though - making a mistake, can lead to serious consequences. From misaligning with the clientâs expectations, not delivering the product on time or within budget, to even losing your company a considerable amount of money for a breach of contract.
And thatâs just the possibilities that we are directly responsible for. Indirectly, by being the face of the project for the client, we also bear the brunt of anything unfortunate that might happen under our watch by any team member.
Given that, itâs no surprise that we double- and triple-check everything, gather confirmations whenever possible, come up with a proper Risk Registry, and stress the necessity of correct estimates. But guess what? Despite all that, at some point in time, you can be certain that a mistake inevitably will happen. And I will tell you why that is a good thing.
âHave no fear of perfection; you'll never reach itâ
If you have ever taken part in estimating a scope of work for the client, I am sure you have taken every precaution for the result to be as achievable as possible. Youâve laid down your assumptions, thought about the risks, and assumed the worst-case scenarios across the board. Despite all that, I would be surprised if you told me that there was no temptation whatsoever to pad your estimate with an additional 10% of the time âjust in caseâ. And I understand it completely - no matter how well we are prepared, sooner or later, something will go wrong. Itâs just statistics.
The more complex the project you are managing is, the higher the possibility that you will end up with a metaphorical fire to deal with. Each additional team member, integration, stakeholder, technology, and variation, is another factor for you and the team to juggle. Inevitably, someone - and it might well be yourself - will drop the ball. No matter how experienced everyone is, the sheer complexity of certain projects makes mistakes almost unavoidable.
So, now that weâve established this, what can we do with the problems when they finally appear? My answer is - embrace them, of course.
If at first you don't succeedâŠ
I strongly feel that just how you are dealing with the mistakes made by you and your team is something that can make or break you as a Project Manager. If you create a working environment full of fear and make your team stressed out about every little misstep, I bet they will not be your team for much longer.
Instead, try to see issues in a different light - as opportunities. Mistakes are one of the most effective ways to learn. When team members make mistakes, they also gain practical insights into what works and what doesn't. It's just like in scientific experiments - failure often provides more valuable data than success.
To reap the benefits later on, though, be sure to devote time to learning from what happened. As a leader, foster the culture of getting to the bottom of the problem, of an open discussion, to verify what went wrong at which moment and what caused you to fail. But - crucially - do this not to seek who to punish, but rather to gain insight on what could be done better the next time. So perform an AAR or a Post-Mortem, gather your conclusions, and share them with the rest of the company. That way, not only you and your team will learn something, but you also might help to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
âEvery day, in every way, Iâm getting better and betterâ
Shifting your perception to viewing mistakes as something that might be beneficial certainly requires conscious effort and work. In my opinion, though, it is worth it, both for the dev team and the organization you work in as well. Let me briefly elaborate on why.
Firstly, by showing the team that a problem is not the end of the world but rather something to overcome, you are helping them to build their resilience. It is by strengthening such a mindset you allow them to improve their tools to deal with similar situations later on. By maintaining their calm and focusing on the next step, they will become more adaptable and efficient in problem-solving. Those features are essential for every Senior, or even Regular, developer and certainly can go a long way.
Secondly, by not looking for a scapegoat to punish, you also foster a culture of open and honest communication. If people are afraid of admitting their mistakes because of the fear of repercussions, they tend to hide them - often making the issue far worse later on. By focusing on the solution as well as constructive feedback, you show your team that they can trust you and rely on you. For me, it is an essential trait for a good leader.
Thirdly, it might sound like a truism, but it is one for a reason - mistakes are the best way to learn. At times, there is simply no space for carefully researching the problem, fishing for answers in various forums on the internet, or a lengthy process of trial and error. You will be faced with situations where doing is the only option, and if it doesnât go your way - I am certain that will be a lesson you will remember for a long time.
So encourage your teams to do the same, and provide them with an environment where they can learn from both the good solutions and the bad ones. You will certainly find out that the latter, while more painful, is also a better teacher.
The conclusion
Just to reiterate - I am far from saying that since an issue will inevitably occur, you should do nothing. It always pays to be prepared and have a strategy, even if it is a high-level one. But what you can and should do is not to treat a mistake like a catastrophe, because they rarely are. Instead, focus on providing your teams with the right tools to deal with them, and foster the culture of learning from what you did wrong. In the long run, it will help not only you, but also your workplace, and most importantly - the people you lead.
Get a quote
âWe are very happy with the outcomes and look forward to continuing to work with them on larger initiatives.â
Brian Grafola
CTO at Vibes
