What if good management consists, first of all, of “managing well your errors”, rather than focusing on trying to avoid or prevent them and continually preparing “to get it right?”
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The Error Management Initiative
How to manage the complex, ineluctable unfolding of errors in organizations ?
Academic Research, Teaching & Advisory
Organised by
Why managing errors?
Errors in organizations are pervasive.
Even in industries considered as the most reliable such as airlines or hospitals… we would be surprised to learn that pilots make several mistakes per flight hour or that in US surgeons operate the wrong individual or the wrong body region about 40 times per week.
Simple and unexpected errors occur in the most prestigious organizations armed with the brightest minds and the best intentions.
Organizational complexity makes errors impossible to avoid, no matter the precautions and the systems put in place in order to prevent them.
Our History
The Baillet Latour Chair on Error Management was created at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in the fall of 2014 in order to shed light on how errors can be managed before they lead to organizational disasters.
The Chair started thanks to the initiative of former CEOs and Board members – in particular under the inspiration and leadership of M. Pierre Drion – in collaboration with several colleagues and executives and former Dean Bruno Van Pottelberghe.
What we are interested in
The Error Management Initiative journey started from an insatiable curiosity about some of the following key questions:




What is the relevance and meaning of error management as a distinct phase, perspective and approach of management, especially at the CEO, executive, and board level?
What if the best CEOs are those that manage their errors and those in their organizations particularly well?
How are errors communicated within an organization? How different error communication strategies and narratives lead to different outcomes in terms of error management?
What do we do
knowledge aimed at better understanding how organizations (public, private and NGOs) are coping with errors and can reduce the impact of these errors.
continuously the findings of our research on Error Management and the insights of experts around the world for both academics and practitioners.
our community, by developing original research, cases and teaching materials.
Build bridges across largely unconnected streams of extant research by leading academics – from organizational behavior and cognition, applied psychology, leadership, governance, and strategic management. All along the way, we are building a shared global network.
WE CREATE… knowledge aimed at better understanding how organizations (public, private and NGOs) are coping with errors and can reduce the impact of these errors.
WE SHARE… continuously the findings of our research on Error Management and the insights of experts around the world for both academics and practitioners.
WE INSPIRE… our community, by developing original research, cases and teaching materials.
WE CONNECT… Build bridges across largely unconnected streams of extant research by leading academics – from organizational behavior and cognition, applied psychology, leadership, governance, and strategic management. All along the way, we are building a shared global network.
… knowledge aimed at better understanding how organizations (public, private and NGOs) are coping with errors and can reduce the impact of these errors.
… continuously the findings of our research on Error Management and the insights of experts around the world for both academics and practitioners.
… our community, by developing original research, cases and teaching materials.
The Core Team
Dr. Paul Verdin
Chair Director
Irene Ingardi
PhD Researcher
Marie Godts
Collaborator & Coordinator
Thibaut Wégria
Freelance Collaborator
Building A Global Research Network
Click on the following pins to discover our research network.
Our Findings
Not only can executive error management avert full-blown corporate, organizational, or societal crises and disasters, it also helps uncover the strategic innovation and value creation from inevitable organizational errors.
Materials
Activities
Our News & Blog
- News
Get in touch!
Whether you are student, a doctoral student or a renowned professor in management or other areas, join our effort in explaining errors in organizations and how to intercept the disasters they may carry.
The Error Management Initiative is looking for talents.