HR People Pod – Ep 33: Enabling high performance working: The organisation lens – with Matthew Syed (Episode 2)

In 'Black Box Thinking', Matthew Syed explores the concept of embracing failure as a crucial step towards success. He argues that the willingness to investigate and learn from mistakes is essential for progress and innovation. The book draws on a wide range of case studies, including examples from healthcare, aviation, and sports, to illustrate how a culture that encourages learning from failure can lead to significant improvements. Syed emphasizes the need to redefine failure, break down big problems into smaller parts, and adopt a growth mindset to achieve high performance in a complex and fast-changing world.

In 'Rebel Ideas', Matthew Syed emphasizes that individual brainpower is insufficient to tackle modern problems such as climate change and economic decline. He advocates for the power of 'cognitive diversity', drawing on psychology, genetics, and real-world scenarios like the CIA's failures before 9/11 and a communication disaster on Mount Everest. The book highlights the need for diverse thinking to generate solutions, foster dissent, and build self-awareness within organizational structures.