Length:
20 minutes
Look at the types of failure described below.
- Discuss as a team your estimate of the overall percentage of the failures in your team (or organisation) that might be caused by blameworthy actions.
- Then ask how often failures in your team (or organisation) are actually treated as blameworthy?
Is there a discrepancy between (a) and (b)? If so, is this holding back how imaginative / innovative / creative you are likely to be as a team?
What can you do to improve the situation?
If you are doing this exercise as an individual, ask (a) and (b) about your own actions. Then think about any changes you need to make to your own behaviour.
Types of failure
- Preventable
- Deliberate violation (Blameworthy)
- Inattention (Maybe blameworthy)
- Lack of ability (Unlikely blameworthy)
- Complex
- Inadequate or faulty process (Not blameworthy)
- Task too complex to guarantee success every time (Not blameworthy)
- Intelligent
- Trial with an uncertain outcome (Not blameworthy)
- Experiment (Not blameworthy)
Topic Overview:
Team innovation