Right Kind of Wrong

About the Author

Amy Edmondson, a renowned scholar and researcher, has spent decades exploring the dynamics of teams, learning, and organizational behavior. With a profound understanding of how humans interact within systems, her work has profoundly impacted how businesses and individuals perceive and handle failure. Edmondson's contributions extend beyond academia, reaching practical applications in numerous industries. Her book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well is a culmination of her extensive research and insights into the art and science of handling failure constructively.

Main Idea

Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well by Amy Edmondson aims to revolutionize our understanding of failure. The book delineates the different types of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—and offers a framework to distinguish between them. Edmondson argues that failure is not the antithesis of success but a vital component of learning and progress. By embracing and learning from our failures, we can foster environments of psychological safety, encourage innovation, and ultimately achieve greater success both personally and professionally.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Part One: The Failure Landscape
   • Chasing the Right Kind of Wrong
   • Aversion: The Emotional Response to Failure
   • Confusion: Understanding Failure Types
   • Interpersonal Fear: Stigma and Social Rejection
3. Part Two: Practicing the Science of Failing Well
   • We Have Met the Enemy
   • Contexts and Consequences
   • Appreciating Systems
4. Part Three: Thriving as a Fallible Human Being
5. Conclusion

Introduction

Failure is often seen as the ultimate defeat, an end state to be avoided at all costs. However, Amy Edmondson challenges this notion by asserting that failure, when understood and handled correctly, can be a powerful catalyst for growth and innovation. In her book, she provides a comprehensive framework to help individuals and organizations navigate the complexities of failure, turning potential setbacks into opportunities for development.

Part One: The Failure Landscape

Chasing the Right Kind of Wrong

To fail well, we must learn to chase the right kind of wrong. Edmondson identifies three primary barriers to failing well: aversion, confusion, and fear. Aversion is our instinctive emotional response to failure, confusion arises from a lack of clear frameworks to distinguish different types of failure, and fear stems from the social stigma associated with failure.

Aversion: The Emotional Response to Failure

Failure is never enjoyable, whether it's a minor mistake or a significant error. Our aversion to failure often leads to a culture of blame and shame. Edmondson emphasizes the importance of creating environments where it is psychologically safe to discuss failures openly and quickly. By doing so, we can prevent small failures from snowballing into larger ones.

"One of the most important strategies for avoiding complex failures is emphasizing a preference for speaking up openly and quickly in your family, team, or organization." — Amy Edmondson

Reframing failure as an opportunity for learning rather than a source of regret can transform our approach to setbacks. This mindset shift is crucial in overcoming our natural aversion to failure.

Confusion: Understanding Failure Types

Not all failures are created equal. Edmondson categorizes failures into three types: basic, complex, and intelligent. Basic failures occur when we make simple mistakes that could have been avoided with existing knowledge. Complex failures happen in variable contexts where outcomes are unpredictable despite our best efforts. Intelligent failures, on the other hand, occur in novel contexts where experimentation and learning are essential.