Hi, this is Mark Raven. Welcome to episode 3, 34 of lean blog audio, this is opposed to that I published on June 22nd 2023 titled a workplace culture where fail means first attempt in learning and you can find a link to that episode by going to lean blog dot org slash audio 334. There's also a link in the show notes So, I'm sharing here is some material that I wrote, but didn't use in my book, the mistakes that make us cultivating, a culture of learning and Innovation Kindle edition.
Only will be released on Tuesday, June 27th. So we're almost there tomorrow as I'm recording this, the print books, both paperback and hardcover are lagging a couple of weeks behind, because of that production process, taking a little bit longer, but the the Kindle edition is almost Here. Go to mistakes, book.com. So this material cut from the book. Sometimes just didn't fit the things don't fit the flow, not that it was bad.
I don't know, maybe it was a mistake to cut it, but what I'm sharing here in the episode today, it's based on assuming interactions with some Veterans Administration, health care leaders who I met last November after giving a talk about learning from mistakes at a VA regional. So here's here's that material. What is culture? Some say it's simply how we do things in an organization, the
late Edgar, Schein a famed. MIT Professor wrote that we can observe and describe culture through artifacts, espoused values and assumptions. So an artifact from a Veterans Administration health care. Cite one example of an artifact is a small card that was given to me by a US veterans Health Administration site leader who's working to build or cultivate a culture of learning from Mistake.
So you can see a photo of a card of this card in the blog post, you can go to lean blog dot org slash audio 334 on one side. The card said the holder was quote free to fail and the card framed a fail. It's in all capital letters there as first attempt in learning. The card continues. It says this pass is to encourage and empower the holder to take a chance on one new idea, process, prototype, Etc, without fear of failure. Now, the woman who created the card clarified, it wasn't meant
to imply that the holder. Could just take one risk or just make one mistake. The back of the card said this as we continue along our journey to high reliability, we must encourage a, no fear culture one rooted in trust where it's safe as safe to uncover when something falls short, as it is to find a successful new way of doing something test. Small fail, small scale large, I love the language there.
The back side of the card emphasizes that the transformation towards becoming a quote-unquote high. Liability organization, one that delivers high levels of physical safety and quality means encouraging. Oh, no fear culture, where it's safe to make mistakes, as long as we're learning. And progressing as we've discussed in the book, small tests of change, leads a small mistakes that we can learn from which then prevents larger mistakes. That might be catastrophic.
Now, look this card, this artifact alone won't create higher levels of psychological safety. This card might remind people Oil. That leaders want the culture to be like this L cannot simply mandate a culture of learning from mistakes into being These leaders actions matter more than the words that are said or printed on a card. This card could be a helpful
reminder. In one organization, while it might trigger eye rolling and another, it's helpful to see artifacts, but they can't fully describe a culture. Ensure actions are consistent with espoused values. So, going back to shines definition. We also need alignment to our espoused values and assumptions. And how do those lead to action? I've suffered in workplaces where leaders said quality and Innovation were essential but their actions proved otherwise Under Pressure, these leaders
pushed quantity over quality. They told employees to speak up with ideas but ignored them or worse. They shot the messenger for daring to suggest. Things could be improved. One time, I remember sitting in the waiting room for an outpatient MRI, I was a patient and a sign in the lobby, proudly stated their organizational values. Including it said, quote, we engage everyone in continuous Improvement.
Well, that caught my eye, considering the work I do to help build and cultivate cultures of continuous Improvement. I asked the one when working the front desk about this engagement and continuous Improvement. Her response was both kind of a blank stare and an eye roll. I mean where they really living those stated values maybe maybe
not. So psychological safety, expert Timothy are Clark who kindly endorsed my book defines culture in a more action-oriented way he describes it as how we interact with each other. Some interactions help toward this culture of learning from mistakes and others do not other
interactions. Do. Not some interactions actively tear down this culture, even if unintentional as Clark points out every team or organization has a culture, the question is, if we're actively creating the culture or cultivating it or not, we can actively cultivate a culture of learning from mistakes and needs intent and
needs action. So as I discussed in my book, I hope I make the case that the pathway to fewer mistakes, zero harm and organizational success comes from shifting away from punitive and fear-driven interactions to those that are instead kind and constructive, it's not about being nice.
But being helpful that sometimes means challenging people to improve and working with them instead of looking the other way or just consoling, somebody about a mistake being quote, unquote, free to fail means, we'll be able to learn and improve which reduces the number of failures over time. So I'm curious. What do you experience in your workplace? Do you feel free to fail and are you supported in efforts to prevent mistakes and failures?
How do you or leaders respond when mistakes and failures occur? What would you like to see change? So to learn more. If you'd like to comment, if you want to see the card links to my book and more, go to lean blog dot org, slash audio 334. Thanks