The right to fail and the unacceptable alternative

Every now and then I’m confronted with a manager who is profoundly against the idea of a team’s or individual’s right to fail. A few years ago, I’d be taken aback by such a stance and react in a very nonconstructive way. Today, with a some experience, desensitizing, professional distance and a lot of coaching, I simply ask the question : What’s the alternative?

If management’s overall message is “failing is not an option” or “no mistakes will be tolerated”, two things will happen:

• Reality will be adjusted to expose success
• The team will successfully follow The Process
• The team do exactly what we tell them to do
• Conservatism will reign and rule
  

• Reality always happens. Even if you order it not to
• The Process will succeed but the solution will fail
• …because the team did exactly what we told them to do
• Complex problems requiring creative thinking will be conservatively patched

So I ask again…What’s the alternative?