Managing Failure: Perspectives From the Frontlines

This chapter takes a firsthand look at how professionals in different fields learn from failures while navigating organizational constraints. We interview Pamela, an award-winning surgeon in the colorectal department of a Swedish hospital; Stephanie, a business executive with a multicultural work background; and Per, a veteran pilot and flight instructor. Pamela’s case reveals the challenges of error reporting in the healthcare world where the benefits and costs of pursuing complex investigations are subject to interpretation. Stephanie’s case demonstrates how cultural norms influence crisis management and failure response. Per’s insights from aviation underscore the critical role of experience and a “just culture” in fostering effective failure learning. The dynamic between the individuals and organizations in each of these cases highlights how different attitudes toward failures impact our ability to manage and learn from them.