Mistakes are inevitable—but how leaders and organizations respond to them determines whether they improve or repeat the same failures. These posts explore mistakes through a Lean lens: system design vs. “human error,” psychological safety, learning cultures, and leadership behaviors that turn errors into improvement rather than blame.
Drawing from healthcare, manufacturing, aviation, sports, and everyday work, this archive focuses less on who failed—and more on what the system made possible.
Mistakes are inevitable; learning is not. These posts align with ideas I expanded on in The Mistakes That Make Us, which examines how leaders, cultures, and systems determine whether errors become liabilities—or catalysts for improvement.
Leaders and organizations have a choice: 1) cultivate a culture of fear and punishment or 2) a culture of learning and innovation. That choice significantly affects happiness and performance at all levels within the organization. A culture of fear and…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark delves into the detrimental effects of a punitive culture within healthcare, arguing for a shift towards a culture of helping. Citing examples and personal insights, he examines how a compassionate, collaborative environment can enhance patient…
TL;DR: Healthcare excellence depends on psychological safety and strong problem-solving. When clinicians and staff feel safe to speak up about mistakes and risks, organizations learn faster, improve patient safety, and deliver better outcomes. Thanks to my friends at Catalysis for…
OK, so the gag gift giant eraser is kind of corny. When we make mistakes in life, we can’t erase them. But we CAN learn from them! In many situations, we can also expect to use SMALL mistakes (and our…
Here’s the latest roundup of blog posts, articles, and interviews / videos related to learning from mistakes and my book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. I wrote this article that was published by…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark argues against the conventional punitive approach to mistakes in organizations, advocating for a culture that prioritizes learning and improvement. Using case studies and real-world examples, he outlines how such a shift in perspective can lead…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark categorizes mistakes into two main types: those that are preventable and those that spur innovation. He elucidates how recognizing the difference between these types can inform an organization’s approach to error management. By doing so,…
Again, l’ve been writing some blog posts on my new book’s website — mistakesbook.com I’m still blogging here, but you might find some of these posts interesting (or that’s my mistake for thinking so). And I’ll also share some recent interviews…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark recounts his frustrating experience attempting to donate a couch, only to be stymied by bureaucratic obstacles. Using this personal anecdote as a case study, he explores how inefficient processes can deter good intentions and inhibit…
tl;dr: Firing someone after a mistake doesn’t prevent recurrence. The next person will make the same error unless you improve the process with mistake-proofing, clear standards, and better system design. This post shares a story I heard at the Michigan…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark shares an incident where his new book’s website was flagged as “inappropriate” by Traverse City Airport’s Wi-Fi filter. He uses this example to delve into the pitfalls of overzealous filtering systems and discusses the broader…
I hosted and participated in a live online panel discussion on Thursday as part of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar series. The recording can be found at the link below and on YouTube. Scroll down also for the preview discussion…
