Organisations are vast and complex entities. However, when you observe incident reporting or issue reporting systems, you find that the mistakes and failures found in the majority of organisations can actually fit into three categories. These are preventable, unavoidable/complexity-related, and innovative or intelligent failures. All organisations can benefit from understanding what kinds of failures they can face. This helps in strategic planning, decision-making, employee involvement in reporting failures, and the addressing of failures and mistakes. Not all failures are ‘bad’ and developing an insightful strategy to learn from mistakes will help you benefit from the good ones. Of course, your company has internal systems, rules, and guidelines that employees and other members have to abide by. These give your company structure and create accountability and responsibility. When individuals fail to follow said guidelines and drift from structured procedures, then it is a preventable failure. There are various causes of this type of failure. These include a lack of focus, inability, employee attitude, and a lack of understanding or education on procedures. As a manager or leader, you have a few options at your disposal to ensure the prevention of avoidable failures. These include: Prevention techniques like these are vital to ensuring high productivity and flow even when there are a few mistakes here or there. The lessons learned from past mistakes also allow you to develop suitable prevention measures. This helps to ensure that the same issue doesn’t come up in the future.Overview Of The 3 Types Of Failures
1. Preventable failures in foreseeable circ*mstances
2. Failures due to complex conditions
On the other hand, some failures cannot be helped by employees. These kinds of failures stem from the intrinsic conditions of an occupation or task. For example, running a facility in a busy urban area can present all sorts of unexpected conditions including external vehicles, people and machinery.
Sometimes, failures are inevitable and cannot be prevented in complicated situations. As such, you need to view some failures as part of the package. Doing so will allow you to accept and correct issues accordingly.
You can also educate your workers on safety and risk, and implement effective reporting procedures. This will enable you to better deal with any incidents that occur.
3. Intelligent failures linked to experimentation
Now we come to the category of failures that are really great for your business. Failures that originate from experimentation and innovation grow your organisation. This is because they can offer fresh perspectives and knowledge.
These are the “error” aspects of “trial and error” in an organisation. They are great for business development as they point to potential growth, expansion and innovation.
Final Thoughts
We all know the phrase ‘learn from your mistakes’ and it applies to organisational failures.
Not all failures detriment your business. Rather, you stand to gain valuable insight from failures and mistakes, incident reporting and issue reporting.
Are you looking for a tool to report failures, document corrective actions and share best practices across your organisation?Falcony | Observeticks all the boxes for effortless reporting, investigation management, customisability, honest dialogue and a lot more. Contact us or start a 30-day FREE trial to learn more:
We are building the world's first operational involvement platform. Our mission is to make the process of finding, sharing, fixing and learning from issues and observations as easy as thinking about them and as rewarding as being remembered for them.
By doing this, we are making work more meaningful for all parties involved.
More information atfalcony.io.
Kaarle Parikka
Head of Marketing
As an expert in organizational management and incident reporting systems, I've had extensive experience dealing with the intricate dynamics of large entities. My expertise extends to strategic planning, decision-making processes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within organizations. I've actively participated in developing and implementing incident reporting and issue resolution frameworks, allowing me to grasp the nuances of failures and their categorization.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article:
1. Preventable Failures in Foreseeable Circ*mstances:
In organizations, preventable failures arise when individuals deviate from established guidelines and procedures. Causes include lack of focus, inability, employee attitude, and insufficient understanding of procedures. To address these, managers and leaders can employ strategies such as checklists, quality check measures, supervision, adequate support and training, and streamlined workflows. Lessons learned from past mistakes play a crucial role in developing effective prevention measures, ensuring productivity and continuous improvement.
2. Failures Due to Complex Conditions:
Some failures are inherent in the nature of certain tasks or occupations and cannot be entirely prevented by employees. Examples include unexpected external factors in busy urban areas. Accepting these failures as part of the package is crucial. Organizations can mitigate these by educating workers on safety and risk management, implementing effective reporting procedures, and being prepared to address incidents promptly.
3. Intelligent Failures Linked to Experimentation:
Intelligent failures result from experimentation and innovation, contributing positively to organizational growth. These failures, often associated with the "trial and error" aspect, provide valuable insights, fresh perspectives, and opportunities for development, expansion, and innovation. Embracing these failures is essential for fostering a culture of creativity and continuous learning.
Final Thoughts:
The article emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and categorizes failures into three types: preventable, unavoidable/complexity-related, and intelligent. It highlights that not all failures are detrimental, and organizations can benefit from insightful strategies to learn from both good and bad failures. The Falcony | Observeticks tool is introduced as a solution for effortless reporting, investigation management, customizability, and fostering honest dialogue. It aims to simplify the process of finding, sharing, fixing, and learning from issues and observations, making work more meaningful for all involved parties. The tool aligns with the mission of building the world's first operational involvement platform.
