Author: JoAnna Brandi

Organizations would be much nicer to work for if they gave people the freedom to fail. Places that set up safe emotional environments by building trust and respecting people simply get more from their people - more ideas, more effort more brilliance. Using one of our foundation principles (#8) at the Customer Care Coach®, I'd like to share an example of how this works in the real world....

Benjamin Zander, conductor for the Boston Philharmonic, has a unique way of looking at mistakes. (This guy has a unique way of looking at everything!)

Whenever someone makes a mistake, rather then participate in the "blame/shame game," Zander throws his arms and legs up and out forming what looks like the letter "X" with his body while shouting, quite loud, "Thaaat's fascinating!" And fascinated he is. He's curious about everything, he's interested in hearing other points of view, he wants to know how other people think - Bravo!

Last week I taught the 27 people in our two day customer care leadership workshop to toss their arms up and stretch their legs out while giving feedback like, "Fascinating! Fabulous! Faaantastic!" Using your body and your voice at the same time anchors the feeling in you. So when one member of that group reacts to another member with that lively gesture and the word "Fascinating!" it will cue their nervous systems to react in a new way - to view a challenging situation as a problem and an opportunity at the same time. It will anchor them back to what they learned, a way of looking at a situation that gives them more options.

We call it "The Law of Requisite Variety." The more possibilities you create, the better your chances for success. The more choices you have, the better your odds that one of them will be the right one.

Benjamin has created a safe space for people to work and learn in. When people are not afraid that they will lose their jobs, be humiliated, embarrass themselves, or appear stupid to their peers, they're more likely to contribute their brilliance to the organization.

Here's my theory - organizations would be much nicer to work in if they gave people the freedom to fail. Places that set up safe emotional environments by building trust and respecting people simply get more from their people - more ideas, more effort more brilliance. One of our foundation principles (#8) at the Customer Care Coach® is:

"Everyone on your team is smart, talented and has something to contribute. In order to bring out the brilliance in everyone in your organization, you must believe this (or 'act as if' you do until you realize it's true). In holding open the possibility that people will shine they usually do. People live up (or down) to our expectations of them. If we expect and empower them to be competent, creative, innovative problem solvers who create Exquisite Experiences for customers, they're more likely to do so."

Often the only thing that keeps people from expressing their true feelings about a situation is the environment - the "eco-system" the manager has created. Check your culture - do you have a fail-safe zone? Do have a 'sacred' space (perhaps brainstorming times) where people can say the silly things - the crazy things? Remember what strategy expert Gary Hamel said - it needs to be organic like a forest. The oak has to drop a lot of acorns before one will take root strong enough to rival its parent. You need to keep generating LOTS of ideas to find the few that will revolutionize your business in this hyper competitive world.

Give people the freedom to fail. That's how they learn. It's nature's way of encouraging us to try something many different ways, failing at most, until we find the best of ways. Start a "Mistake of the Month Club" and celebrate what you've learned from your failures! 

It's all fascinating! 

A Speaker and consultant, she is publisher of the bi-weekly Customer Care Tips Bulletin. To receive her free bi-weekly tips bulletin, sign up at www.returnonhappiness.com. You can also reach JoAnna at 561-279-0027 or e-mail joanna@customercarecoach.com.