Navigating Failure in Teams: Missteps vs. Misbehaviors

Intentional-failure is a misbehavior

Failure or mistakes in teams are not always a bad thing; they are often stepping stones to success. However, it’s essential to distinguish between two specific types of failure or mistakes in our business:

• Unintentional-failures or Mistakes: Missteps
• Intentional-failure or Mistakes: Misbehaviors

Missteps are the mistakes that occur when executing an idea or plan. They’re the bumps in the road, the poor decisions, the unexpected obstacles, and the learning opportunities that arise when we pursue our goals. Missteps may slow us down, but they don’t reflect on our intent or character.

On the other hand, intentional-failures refers to mistakes rooted in our misbehavior and intent toward others. It’s when we disregard ethics, values, or professionalism. Misbehavior damages team relationships, trust, and psychological safety unless effectively addressed and resolved promptly.

Understanding the difference between the two failures; missteps and misbehavior, is crucial, and lumping them into the one category of “failure” and addressing them on the same level is the greatest failure we can make, in my view.

Sure, embrace and be accountable for our missteps as part of the learning process, but also strive to address and effectively resolve misbehavior, for it can have far more profound consequences. Specifically, I consider that most, if not all, missteps have an element of intentional-failure (misbehavior) as part of the root cause of the unintentional-failure.

Here’s where the Spatz intervention comes into play. Instead of combining unintentional and intentional failures as one entity, we separate them and address them differently.

At SpatzAI we advocate addressing our minor misbehavior on the fly, effectively killing two birds with one stone; giving team members the freedom to make intentional mistakes (misbehaviors), but constructively addressing and resolving the behavior in real-time. The Spatz intervention provides a structured and tangible approach to addressing problematic misbehavior as soon as it occurs. The procedure includes a 3-step app and peer review network where we:

• 1. Caution: When someone observes problematic behavior, they give a verbal caution, addressing the offender respectfully and expressing their discomfort.
•  2. Object: If the issue persists, the offended party can up the ante using the SpatzAI app to send an official, documented Caution and then an official Objection, if required. The offending team member must then provide a documented apology for their misbehavior.
•  3. Stop and Post on Network: If the dispute remains unresolved, the offended party can further escalate by sending an official “Stop.” An acceptable apology is now required, and the conflict is also automatically posted on the Spatz peer review network, where team members and the SpatzAI provide feedback and recommendations for resolution.

This real-time intervention not only resolves micro-conflicts promptly but also provides an opportunity for team members to learn on the fly. It encourages accountability, promotes constructive communication, and helps maintain our integrity and respect for others on our journey to success.

By using the Spatz intervention, we address misbehavior and intentional-failure proactively, turning it into a valuable learning opportunity, ensuring we stay on the path to success with integrity and professionalism.

If we are not going overboard, then we are not rocking the boat enough!

Desmond Sherlock