“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.”~Catherine Cook
Years ago, a client said, “We make every mistake once.” I’ve clearly never forgotten that.
It was a customer presentation at a large telecommunications firm we all know. I was thoroughly impressed by the admission, up front, that mistakes were going to happen and that mistakes were good.
I was with another client recently who called out a colleague who continuously taught them that moving forward without all the information and answers was, at least sometimes, the best move. That mistakes would be made, and that’s how you learned and innovated.
I’ve had many clients who have been frozen with inaction because decades earlier (or with their current manager) they’d learned that a mistake was an insurmountable failure. I’ve had many clients who’ve wanted to have all the information before calling the next shot. I’ve had many clients who have needed approval from their manager before they could make a move.
We must be willing to make mistakes – not big ones that could take our firm or organization down, not ones where there’s way too much at risk – but Catherine Cook is right. If we are always right in what we do, it’s mostly because we’re not making the decisions we need to.
One of the models we offer clients to help them make decisions – and allow for mistakes and the learning that goes along with them – is the Decision Tree. The model breaks down this way:
- Leaf Decision – gather the facts, make the decision, take the action, don’t even tell me (the manager) about it – because if a leaf dies on a tree, the tree is fine and can flourish even more
- Branch Decision – gather the facts, make the decision, take the action, tell me about it – because if a branch dies on a tree, the tree is generally fine and can easily recover
- Trunk Decision – gather the facts, make the decision, tell me your thoughts before you take the action – because if the trunk of a tree dies, the tree might die as well
- Root Decision – let’s gather the facts, make the decision together, and then take the action – because if the roots of a tree die, the tree is dead
We need to be willing to make mistakes – the right mistakes – in order to make decisions, learn, and often find the best results.
How have you learned to make the right decisions?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in making mistakes and making decisions, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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