Research Hit: Do We Learn From Failure?
Data from heart surgeons shows there are optimal zones for learning from failure
Well, logically we would learn from failure, no?
Well, logical yes, but often research shows that our assumptions are incorrect and this research shows some interesting nuances to this question.
Now, I’m intrigued, explain more
The results of this research are absolutely fascinating I think, and have implications for education and business. But it is also an interesting piece of research because it is looking at failure and learning in quite an elite group of people: heart surgeons nonetheless!
Wow, heart surgeons - hopefully they don’t fail very often!
Well unfortunately they do fail, everybody fails and these are highly complex but high stakes scenarios. Failure in these cases often leads to the death of a patient which can have a high emotional toll. But it is in the nature of being a heart surgeon!
OK, and what did the researchers find out about learning from failure?
First, let’s understand the dataset: Sunkee Lee and Jisoo Parks took data from 307 California-based cardiothoracic surgeons who performed coronary artery bypass graft surgeries in 133 hospitals between 2003 and 2018. So that is large group and over a long period and included 4446 observations.
What is fascinating is that there are two variables that influence how much these surgeons learnt from their mistakes and I would strongly assume that this also applies to all of us in all contexts.
The number of mistakes made there seem to be a sweet spot when learning is maximised. Too small and probably the emotional threshold hasn’t been reached or it could be ascribed to fluke and chance and hence require no learning. Too much and it seems that this impedes further learning.
Perceived ability to learn is the second influence. Those with higher perceived ability to learn were more responsive to learning with mistakes particularly in that sweet spot but also shifted the threshold of decreased learning further right.
Wow, so we only sometimes learn from mistakes!
Yes, this is fascinating but kind of makes sense. When we make mistakes, can identify them and they are not too common, and we have high learning ability, we can learn optimally. Too high and too low and learning is impeded. And high learning ability is critical - even if only perceived. Raising the importance of so-called learning agility (yes, we have also developed assessments of this).
And you said you think this applies to other areas as well?
For sure, it makes so much sense. I could see this applied one-to-one in education and in business - it matches other similar theories of learning such as optimal zones of development.
So, failing needs to be in an optimal zone?
Yes, if you are not failing you need to push yourself harder, if you are failing too often take a step back. And build your learning agility by being open to learning experiences. This applies in all areas of life.
Good to know!
Reference
Sunkee Lee, Jisoo Park
Giving up learning from failures? An examination of learning from one's own failures in the context of heart surgeons
Strategic Management Journal, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3609