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comfortable, we are doing a disservice to their potential. As managers, it is our obligation to seek out opportunities for “safe failures” for our employees to help them learn, recover, and, ultimately, reach their full potential. To bring back the parenthood analogy, a safe failure is not asking your toddler to cross the street by themselves because they must learn eventually. A safe failure means it is OK for your toddler to fall while skiing without you right there to catch them. Similarly, a safe failure in the office is not pushing your inexperienced employee in front of a difficult client alone. We learn from our mistakes, but seeking the right opportunity to make a mistake is not always at the front of our mind. These learning opportunities for our employees may take more time than if you had done it yourself, but the level of comprehension 1. Internal tools with oversight. Repetitive tasks can be streamlined by creating standard tools such as spreadsheets, word documents, programs, etc. Giving a less experienced employee the opportunity to create a tool is a great opportunity for learning and a safe place for failure. A thorough review of the tool by the manager as well as a third party can be an opportunity for the employee to learn from any mistakes. 2. Internal presentations. Similar to the tool, an internal gained from stumbling cannot be matched. Low stakes learning opportunities include:
presentation about a technical topic is a great opportunity for your employee to learn. Any mistakes found within preparation of the presentation – with a mentor’s review – provide for a low stakes learning opportunity. 3. Quality control. Routine and early quality control present an opportunity for learning but catching a mistake is not enough. As managers, it is important to discuss what mistake(s) you found, explain the mistake(s) to the employee, as well as deconstruct any resolution. It is also critical to ensure there is enough time to catch mistakes early. An internal review conducted with ample time before the formal deadline gives employees an opportunity to correct their mistakes without a scramble and a rush. When managers notice a mistake and correct it themselves, they are taking away a safe learning opportunity. To be clear, I have yet to see an employee tell a manager to back off as eloquently as my 3-year-old. However, even without clear verbalization, it is essential to our industry. Failure is rarely an option when it comes to design and construction. Because of this, we must seek out the rare opportunities for safe failure and make the most of them to help our employees reach their full potential. Rachel Wilde is a senior associate and project manager in Walter P Moore’s Structural Group. She can be reached at rwilde@walterpmoore.com.
THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 1, 2024, ISSUE 1531
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