How do you respond when a member of your team admits that they have made a mistake? Are you calm? Disappointed? Do you laugh it off?

The way in which line managers react to mistakes matters: their approach to “error management” can play a significant role in both workplace wellbeing and how responsive and agile a school is.

But what does an effective response to a mistake involve? What should you do when a member of staff slips up?

Paul Ainsworth, a former headteacher and now a school improvement lead who works across the Infinity Academies Trust, says you know you have an issue with your current approach if staff conceal blunders.

“We all make mistakes; we all forget to do things,” he says. “One of the things I look for is whether leaders are building a positive culture so that teachers do not feel blamed if things go wrong. If a teacher conceals an error, this could indicate to me that there may be something wrong in the culture of the school - it could be evidence of a deeper malaise.”

So, what’s the right way to deal with staff members’ mistakes?

React calmly

When your team member admits to a mistake, the most important thing is not to panic, says Bennie Kara, a deputy headteacher in the East Midlands.

“Leadership brings with it a responsibility not to react with strong emotions during difficult conversations, even if you have a sinking feeling or feel annoyed,” she says. “Presenting a calm, open response is hugely important. I want people to feel that they can come to me with a mistake because they know I will react reasonably.”

Ainsworth suggests holding in mind the idea that this person is a part of a team. In the best schools and multi-academy trusts, he says, supportive colleagues are a sign of effective teamwork. “We are all there to help each other. There’s no point in four people getting it right if one person gets it wrong. We all work together to get it right together.”

Offer support

Once you’ve reassured your colleague, you need to get down to fixing the problem. If there are to be sanctions as a result of the error, they can be put on hold for now. “When a mistake occurs, the first responsibility is to make sure that it is rectified together,” says Kara. “The conversation about the consequences can happen in due course.”

Clare Sealy, head of curriculum and standards for the States of Guernsey, suggests adopting an approach similar to how you would ideally treat a pupil.

“You need to respond with calm thoughtfulness,” she says. “We want our classrooms to be places where children can take risks and not be afraid of failure; we need our schools to have the same ethos towards staff.”

Use your judgement

If you find out that a member of staff has hidden a problem from you, this might be a sign of a wider cultural issue, but how should you deal with this situation in the first instance?

“Deliberate concealment does raise an issue,” Kara says. “Leaders have to walk a fine line between making someone understand that concealment of error could have serious consequences and being approachable if something should go wrong.”

Sealy says that the way this is handled will likely dictate how people respond to similar situations in the future, so it’s wise to rein in the gavel pounding.

“If you have a judgemental attitude, people will just cover mistakes up,” she says.

Find the lessons

The person who has made the mistake needs to learn from it, but it isn’t all down to them, says Sealy. “Mistakes are a bit like complaints,” she explains.

“They are learning opportunities, not only for the person who made the mistake but also for the institution.”

Ainsworth agrees, and warns against making a show of apportioning blame.

“In my role as a system leader, I’ve been greatly influenced by Matthew Syed’s book Black Box Thinking,” he says.

“When a school falls into difficulty, I always try to work out why this has happened.

“I do this not to blame people but, instead, to try to make sure that we can put in the systems, structures and support to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Don’t hold grudges

As a leader, part of your role is to manage your team and that involves tracking performance. But is keeping a tally of slip-ups the right approach? “If the mistake has been repeated regularly, this should be recorded,” says Ainsworth. “For example, if a teacher is regularly saying the wrong thing to pupils and parents, this should be recorded and this should help you determine if the teacher requires some support or training.”

Sealy says it’s important that you’re looking at the reasons behind the errors, not just focusing on the number of mistakes.

“It might be an error of forgetfulness because they’ve forgotten a duty or missed a deadline,” she says, adding that “a teacher who is overwhelmed might say something in the heat of the moment or, just having so much to do, [find that] something slips”.

But she advises against keeping a log of mistakes for small errors: “I really wouldn’t do this - it sounds ghastly!”

Grainne Hallahan is Tes recruitment editor and senior content writer

This article originally appeared in the 30 April 2021 issue under the headline “Oops, I did it again...”