Being wrong is a natural part of being human. Everyone makes mistakes, misinterpretations, and miscalculations. Unfortunately, another natural part of being human is having an ego, and the accompanying desire for self-preservation. No one likes being seen to make mistakes as it can be embarrassing, cause reputational damage and loss of status, and make us feel unintelligent, uncomfortable and insecure.
We are sociable creatures. In the past, we lived and worked in tribes, and exclusion from the group would have meant not just social isolation but also probable death. Humans have thus evolved to have an innate desire to be around and be accepted by people. To ensure such acceptance and belonging, humans have developed a desire to present the best version of themselves to others. To do otherwise, to admit flaws and imperfections, risks being excluded from the groups we depend on for our survival.
This need to be accepted is reflected in many of our daily habits. People watch sports not just for entertainment, but also to be a part of a shared experience that provides a reliable and safe topic of conversation. People read the news, not just to be informed, but also to learn the ‘right way’ to think and talk about current affairs. In professional settings, presenting information in the ‘right way’ can also hold the key to success when pitching a start-up, advising a client, or giving a product demonstration.
Our natural desire to present our best selves to the world is jeopardised when we discover that we have made a mistake. We find ourselves in the wrong, and since acknowledging a mistake can feel like an existential threat, it is often extremely hard to do. Admitting that you messed up in a context where your mistake has consequences for your professional career is even more difficult.
Admitting mistakes at work is difficult due to, for instance, the risk that managers will be unforgiving, or that your professional reputation will be tarnished. The extent of this difficulty is exemplified by the lengths that some people go to in a bid to conceal rather than confront their mistakes, as demonstrated by the many horror stories pasted all over the walls of the internet about coverups in the workplace. Indeed, high profile personalities like Gordon Ramsay and his notorious fiery attacks on even the smallest of mistakes in the kitchen, and other TV programs like The Office, The Jerry Springer Show, and The Jeremy Kyle Show, exemplify the high emotion of cultures that encourage disfunction and conflict, and at the same time routinely fail to encourage people to admit, identify and correct their mistakes.
Workplace culture should not dissuade people from admitting fault. Although a professional setting can be one of the hardest places to be open about shortcomings, this should become accepted practice. Employees need to understand that admitting fault is not a sign of weakness but of strength. To admit fault is to make yourself vulnerable by presenting your colleagues, at point blank range, a less than perfect side of yourself. This requires enough courage and humility to overcome the force of the human ego and the evolutionary need for self-preservation. Speaking truthfully is one of the rawest opportunities for character building, and can help to create healthy workplaces that don’t penalise people for their natural and unavoidable imperfections.
We should all be more accepting of each other’s flaws, appreciate the courage, humility, and selflessness that acknowledging a mistake requires, and recognise the invaluable professional growth and improvements in workplace culture that can result from an open and honest communication philosophy. Such changes have the potential to create more productive workplaces where mistakes are dealt with efficiently, and to improve workplace culture by creating environments where people are not judged for a natural part of being human, but rather celebrated and appreciated for going against their natural inclination to cover things up.
The “no question is a stupid question” culture of many modern workplaces is a step in the right direction, but this article submits more needs to be done to humanise the workplace into a space that is not only accepting of flaws as a natural and inevitable part of being human, but actively encourages employees to be themselves, and realise the very eminent personal and professional benefits of pursuing success rather than perfection.
Sukhi R. is a graduate from Warwick Law School currently studying an MSc in Business with Consulting at Warwick Business School. She has a keen interest in the business psychology of consulting and plans to enter the industry in the near future.
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