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A friend of mine–with a long history of Lean and Toyota Production System knowledge practice–recently shared a troubling story about a relative who works at a manufacturing plant. I'll call this factory team member “Guy.”

Call me cynical, if you must, but I totally believe this story, so I'm sharing it here. And my friend has zero reason to make this up.

Guy's factory has a bonus system in place that's supposed to reward employees for hitting key performance targets each month. That might sound like a good idea on the surface, but here's where it gets dysfunctional:

If there are any reported injuries, the entire bonus goes unpaid for the month.

I've shared this story verbally with a few people, and they always start smirking or chuckling. They know the answer to this question:

What could possibly go wrong?

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I've been writing about learning from mistakes for a long time, including my previous books before my latest, The Mistakes That Make Us. This idea isn't new, but it's essential–especially in fields like healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high.

From Lean Hospitals:

“Mistakes are a reality in healthcare, and while we strive to prevent them, it's crucial to create an environment where they are identified quickly, addressed effectively, and used as opportunities for learning and improvement.”

From The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen:

“Leadership in a Kaizen culture means creating an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn, not as failures.”

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In writing The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, I wanted to challenge the way we think about mistakes, leadership, and organizational culture.

Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand how the traditional responses to mistakes–punishment, fear, and blame–can stifle growth and innovation. The ideas I present in the book are meant to provoke thought and, in some cases, to stir debate.

Here in this post, I'd like to share and dig into five of the most controversial quotes and concepts from the book, explaining why they're important and how they can transform the way we work.