Firstly, it’s essential to set clear expectations to balance informed accountability with psychological safety. With each and every member of your team, set very clear expectations early and upfront. This will ensure everyone has a clear sense of purpose and knows what they need to get done.
You should also be open to being challenged by your team. Acknowledge that your team may have skills, knowledge, or technical specialisations that you lack. Let them know that you rely on them so they’re comfortable with challenging you when needed.
Finally, it’s important to teach your team that failure is OK: in fact, it’s an opportunity to learn. The best way to do this is through modelling your own accountability and accepting when things go wrong.
Model how to deal with mistakes: that you acknowledge them, own them, and work to fix them.
Above all, show your team that failure is an opportunity to learn by treating your own failures this way.
