Airmen learn 'right' way to make mistakes

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Ray Briggs
  • 736th AMXS commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Today's Airmen are smart, motivated and eager to take on the mission. 

However, in life, sometimes things go wrong. No one ever teaches the right way to do something wrong. I have a few thoughts on the right way to make a mistake, as well as recover afterward. 

First, make mistakes, not crimes. Too often people refer to crimes as mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities that can make us stronger. Crimes are indications incompatible with military life and are prejudicial to good order and discipline. This is not a one-mistake Air Force, but it can be a one-crime Air Force. 

Second, minimize the number of mistakes. Too many indicate incompetence and lack of pride in accomplishment. If you believe in the core value of Excellence, then you will take pride in your work and always strive to eliminate even the smallest mistake. 

Third, minimize the impact and cost of your mistakes. A dent on a fender is better than a totaled vehicle. 

Also, make mistakes appropriate for your grade. The tolerance for mistakes narrows with each promotion. Senior non-commissioned officers should not make staff sergeant mistakes; captains and majors should not make lieutenant mistakes. 

Lastly, contain the mistake. Some mistakes require immediate action to stop the mistake from creating more damage. Shut down the machine you just broke, stop the hazardous materials spill from spreading, or call the fire department to help fight the fire. Know your limitations and don't be afraid to get help. 

Now that you've made the right mistake, you need to correct the situation. Correcting mistakes is a way to measure your character. 

Tell the truth first and tell it yourself. Not telling the truth moves the situation from being a mistake to being a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and a crime. The only thing worse than bad news is old, bad news. 

It is always best to tell your boss the bad news first and in person. You can do this with four simple words, "Boss, I screwed up." 

You will need to elaborate on these four words, but this first sentence lets the boss know you are honest, timely and responsible. What boss doesn't want those qualities in an employee? 

Good bosses will start by listening with both ears open and mouth shut. Supervisors, when your folks are admitting to mistakes, most of the time it is a call for help. They most likely have gotten into something they didn't foresee. They need your experience and wisdom to help them correct the situation; seldom do they need you to take their heads off. How you react to your subordinates' admitted shortcomings is a gage of your leadership abilities. 

Understand the impacts of your mistake and communicate those impacts up the chain. Supervisors, judge your reaction according to the scope of the error. 

Be part of the solution. Work to minimize the cost of the mistake in terms of time, rework, equipment, dollars and resources. This is where your expertise and pride in your work come in. Nothing impresses the boss more than the individual that volunteers extra duty to correct their own mistake. Bosses should use the Airman's mistake as a mentoring moment and teach them how to fix it. 

After telling the truth, it is important to get past mistakes. Accepting responsibility is more than just saying, 'I accept responsibility.' Don't make excuses or rationalizations. 

The most common 'consequence' is a discussion with the boss, also known as a counseling session or office call. Whatever euphemism you use to describe a good old-fashioned butt-chewing, stand there and take it like a professional ... get over it and press on. Supervisors, set your consequences appropriately based on the impact and the cost of the solution. 

Keep the boss informed all the way. This is not the time to play 'I've got a secret.' Nothing ticks a boss off more than not knowing what's going on. Remember, it's your hide on the line, take an active interest in protecting it. 

Follow up mistakes with a good root-cause analysis, which focuses on why the failure occurred and leads to positive fixes, either in changing processes, behavior or equipment. 

Internal reflection on why you made the mistake is the proper way to learn from it. Ask yourself 'why' as many times as necessary to figure out the true root cause and base your fixes appropriately. 

Our mistakes and our reactions to mistakes are just as important to our long-term success as when things are going well. By learning how to make the right mistakes and learning how to react after they're identified, we can all do better to honor our core values of Integrity, Service, and Excellence.