Distinguishing types of behavior and recognizing the right to make mistakes
The types of behavior
An organization where information circulates sometimes receives good news (good practices, initiatives, successes, etc.) and sometimes bad news (high-risk situations, rule deviations, malfunctions, etc.). How can all these situations be interpreted, characterized, and handled objectively?
A first prerequisite is to share a common vocabulary: What is a positive contribution? An error? A transgression? And of course, it is necessary to collectively address the delicate notion of the right to make mistakes, which is fundamental to a fair and just culture.
Distinguishing positive behavior, errors, and transgressions
What is a behavior?
Behaviors are “ways of doing things.” They are the observable part of human activity (gestures, postures, movements, facial expressions, verbal communication, use of tools and equipment, etc.).
They are influenced by many factors: ways of thinking (perceptions, beliefs, values, etc.), as well as working conditions, team dynamics, and organizational structure. In other words, observing behavior is like observing the visible part of an iceberg.
The driving force of an organization is the people who work in it. Their contribution to safety is most often positive (managing risky situations, detecting and correcting errors, taking relevant initiatives, etc.), but sometimes, individuals are fallible.
There are therefore three categories of behavior related to safety:
Positive contributions
These include:
- Compliance and exemplary conduct (meeting expectations),
- Positive and proactive contributions (going beyond what is expected),
- Continuous and remarkable engagement in safety (sustained over time).
Most of the time, work is carried out safely, and positive contributions are by far the most common.
Errors
An error occurs when an action fails to achieve its intended goal. It is unintentional but can have undesired effects.
Different types of errors exist:
- Routine error,
- Rule-based error,
- Diagnostic error,
- Error induced by latent dysfunctions.
Violations
A violation is a deliberate deviation from prescribed rules or procedures. A violation does not necessarily imply malicious intent — this is extremely rare. Examples include:
- Violations imposed by the situation,
- Performance-driven violations,
- Normalized (habitual) violations,
- Violations for personal interest,
- And finally, malicious acts or sabotage (which fall under criminal behavior).
Why organizations must recognize the right to make mistakes
The concept of a “right to make mistakes” is complex, even highly sensitive in certain companies — especially when the aim is to prevent serious, fatal, or major technological accidents.
That sensitivity is understandable: lives are at stake… but what if a mistake leads to a serious accident?
The limits of focusing solely on human error after an accident
According to neuroscience, humans make between 2 and 5 mistakes per hour.
Most of these errors have no consequence — they are corrected by the individuals themselves. But occasionally, some slip through… and can contribute to a chain of events leading to an accident.
In such cases, the culprit seems obvious: human error. But that is far from a sufficient explanation.
To manage the risks of serious, fatal, or major technological accidents, it is the organization’s responsibility to implement protective barriers:
- Prevention barriers (to avoid exposure to danger),
- Recovery barriers (to regain control of risky situations),
- Mitigation barriers (to limit the consequences of an incident).
When an accident occurs, it means these defensive lines have failed. Human error, therefore, is not a sufficient explanation. In fact, focusing on it can be counterproductive: it prevents the search for deeper causes — technical, organizational, or managerial.
Focusing analysis only on the last link in the chain prevents lessons from being learned and hinders the implementation of preventive measures that could avoid recurrence.
Excerpt from "Human and orgaizational factors of saety: state of the art", François Daniellou, Marcel Simard and Ivan Boissières, 2010.
A just and fair culture relies on the acceptance of error
Why?
-
Because an error is always unintentional — punishing it does not reduce its occurrence.
-
Because an error can result from latent dysfunctions (sometimes multiple) or be induced by the conditions in which employees work (workload, production pressure, etc.).
-
Because the key is to examine what the organization has implemented to detect and recover from errors and to mitigate their consequences.
-
Because employees must feel confident and be encouraged to report their mistakes, rather than hide them. A reported error means progress in safety!
Note: This refers to an isolated error. The same error repeated many times may indicate negligence — especially if accompanied by a careless or disengaged attitude. In such cases, re-engagement or corrective action may be necessary, even disciplinary measures depending on the situation.
Recognizing the right to make mistakes does not mean that “anything goes”!
A laissez-faire culture is extremely dangerous for safety.
Deliberate rule violations must be analyzed so that appropriate and fair responses can be made, and fundamental safety rules must always be upheld.
