Michael Lissack
Learning vs. Performance Documentation When every contribu- tion becomes permanently attributed, individuals may become reluctant to contribute in areas where they’re still developing expertise. A software developer learning a new programming language might hesitate to com- mit code that reveals their novice status. A team member exploring an unfamiliar domain might avoid documenting early, imperfect thinking that could later be perceived as evidence of limited understanding. Organizations navigating this tension effectively create what Harvard’s Amy Edmondson calls “zones of psychological safety” where learning-oriented contributions receive different treatment than perfor- mance documentation. Gitlab exemplifies this approach by explicitly distinguishing between production code repositories with full attribu- tion and learning environments where attribution serves developmen- tal rather than evaluative purposes. This distinction enables transpar- ency while protecting the psychological safety necessary for growth and experimentation. Failure Attribution and Innovation Risk Innovation inevitably involves failure, yet transparent attribution systems can create perma- nent records of unsuccessful attempts that may discourage appropriate risk-taking. When failures become indelibly associated with specific indi- viduals through digital attribution, the perceived personal cost of experi- mentation increases substantially. Progressive organizations address this tension by implementing what innovation scholar Amy Edmondson calls “intelligent failure pro- tocols”—frameworks that distinguish between different types of failure and their attribution implications. IDEO, for example, maintains trans- parent attribution for all innovation attempts while explicitly celebrating “valuable failures” that generate important learning. This practice main- tains transparency while reframing attribution of unsuccessful attempts as evidence of valuable contribution rather than performance deficiency. Power Dynamics and Attribution Courage Transparent attribu- tion systems can either reinforce or challenge existing power dynamics depending on their implementation. When junior team members must
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