You are a manager yourself, what was your biggest mistake when you look back on that?

Nadine Bad

Editor in business, responsible for “Job and Opportunity”.

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    I was fortunate that in my industrial career I did not make such mistakes that would have had far-reaching consequences.

    This is also thanks to my managers, who paid attention.

    I've made a lot of small mistakes.

    For example incorrect calculations.

    Fortunately, my mistakes were noticed early on by me or my superiors and so we were able to correct them.

    That was annoying, but - and that is crucial: You have to stand by the small mistakes instead of covering them up.

    Then you can iron them out in time.

    Why do so many managers find it difficult to admit mistakes?

    Are you afraid of losing face?

    Yes, this fear is widespread and starts with the little things. It happens to everyone, for example, that you misjudge your tone. But most managers don't apologize afterwards, but rather pretend the next day as if nothing had happened. Many also have a problem with giving their employees freedom. Behind this is the mindset: As a boss, you know everything better and, when in doubt, you always have the power to indicate a path. It would be better to say: “Dear employee, go your own way and if everything does not run one hundred percent, you can always adapt it, but I will stand by you.” In the event that mistakes happen, bosses have to Stand behind your employees and take responsibility, that's part of it.

    Do you think of examples of managers who have publicly admitted mistakes themselves? Like Ms. Merkel a few months ago with the “Easter rest”?

    Usually it is the really big mistakes that become prominent, but not the small ones. For example, I remember the former Uber CEO who lost his position because of coercion of an employee. But only when his mistake became public and there was no turning back did he admit it and then, in an obscure way, switch to the board of directors. Or let's take the VW diesel scandal: Here too, the management finally admitted mistakes. But: Most of the time, it has to come extremely far and only then, when the scandal is unavoidable, do you apologize. Much could be prevented here if mistakes were admitted early on. For personal misconduct, however, you also have to answer personally and draw the consequences. An apology is only acceptable if it is credible and honest.

    Why is a good error culture important?

    Error culture is learning culture.

    Learning culture also has a much more positive connotation as a word.

    All of our experience consists of the mistakes we have made.

    We can only get really good at something if we keep trying and failing ourselves.

    The bottom line is that hushing up errors is usually much more expensive than maintaining a good error culture.

    How do you get it exactly?