From Perfection to progress: Fail fast, learn faster

In our work, we go beneath the surface of organisations to understand the cultural levers that accelerate inclusion and increase brand relevance.

Over the last two years, we’ve spoken to more than 85 leaders about the complexity they are navigating today: a turbulent socio-political climate, shifting generational expectations, an unprecedented pace of change, and growing uncertainty around the impact of AI.

One theme consistently stands out: confidence or, more accurately, the lack of it.

Confidence is often built on familiarity. It comes from experience, instinct, and patterns that have worked before. But many leaders are now operating in conditions where past playbooks no longer apply. At the same time, the perceived consequences of getting things wrong, amplified by social scrutiny and “cancel culture”, can feel reputationally significant for both individuals and brands. So how do organisations keep moving in such a complex landscape?

By being willing to make mistakes. 

I remember learning about the concept of “right first time” in business studies at school. As someone who values quality, it made perfect sense: get it right, avoid mistakes, keep everyone happy.

But modern workplaces don’t work like that anymore. Today, progress depends on embracing difference, encouraging challenge and bringing diverse perspectives into decision-making. That requires continuous learning and learning inevitably involves getting things wrong along the way. The shift we are seeing is a move from perfectionism to progression.

“Fail fast”, “test and learn, and “iterate” have become common language because organisations can no longer afford to be static. The businesses that adapt fastest are not necessarily the ones with all the answers; they are the ones creating environments where people feel confident enough to experiment, speak up, and evolve.

And that depends on psychological safety. Psychological safety is the belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks at work. It means people feel able to share ideas, challenge thinking, admit mistakes, ask questions, and try new approaches without fear of embarrassment or punishment.

In our work with organisations, psychological safety is often the hidden factor holding teams back from optimal performance. This echoes findings from Google’s Project Aristotle research, which identified psychological safety as the single most important dynamic of high-performing teams.

It is also a core part of our relevance framework. In a world defined by uncertainty and rapid change, creating psychologically safe environments is no longer a “nice to have” leadership quality, it is non-negotiable.

So what helps create psychological safety in practice?

Connection

Trust has become the currency of modern workplaces, just as it has for brands and customers.

But trust is built through human connection. One of the most powerful findings from Project Aristotle was that high-performing teams showed genuine interest in one another as people. Small moments matter: informal conversations, curiosity, checking in, and creating space beyond transactional interactions.

In hybrid environments, especially, these moments cannot be left to chance.

Communication

Employees increasingly value communication that is clear, honest and transparent. People want clarity that helps them make decisions, prioritise, and act confidently.

But effective communication is nuanced. Personality, culture, seniority and individual preferences all shape how people interpret feedback and dialogue. Establishing clear communication principles, particularly around feedback, challenge and decision-making, helps teams operate more efficiently and inclusively.

Candour matters, but so does care.

Community

While “right first time” may be outdated, exclusion is not a price organisations can afford to pay.

Innovation suffers when the same voices dominate conversations or when certain groups feel unable to contribute. Creating intentional spaces for reflection, feedback and belonging helps organisations hear perspectives that might otherwise be missed.

Psychological safety is not about lowering standards or avoiding difficult conversations. It is about creating the conditions where people can contribute fully, learn continuously, and navigate uncertainty together.

Because in today’s workplace, the organisations that thrive will not be the ones that never make mistakes. They will be the ones who turn mistakes into progress.