From Inaction to Impact: Why Errors of Omission Matter

What's the cost of not taking action?

In government leadership and organisational performance, we often focus on mistakes made—poor decisions, failed initiatives, mismanaged changes. These errors of commission are visible, measurable, and extensively analysed. But there's another type of error that receives far less attention, yet often carries greater consequences: errors of omission.

Errors of omission are the actions not taken, the decisions delayed, the conversations avoided, and the capabilities not developed. In the public sector, they manifest as strategic priorities perpetually pushed to next quarter, emerging risks not addressed, and team development opportunities missed. What if we could avoid disasters, mitigate issues early, or proactively tackle small challenges before they grow?

Error of omission often (ironically!) omitted from conversations around both leadership performance and development. At an organisation level, this gap in capability aggregates and culminates into seriously large issues. For individual leader

s, they often become the "if only we had" moments that haunt future post-mortems.

As governments face increasing complexity and public scrutiny, the ability to recognise and address errors of omission becomes crucial—both for individual leadership effectiveness and organisational resilience.

In our complex world, uncertainties consume our time and energy, often leaving us in reactive mode. Even when we're aware of uncertainties, we rarely dig deep enough to diagnose and treat them effectively. This is an error in itself.

Taking stock: A moment to reflect and realign

Take a moment to reflect on your current role:

o   What recurring issues are you grappling with?

o   Are these temporary hurdles or ongoing, business-as-usual challenges?

o   What uncertainties are your team members facing?

o   Are there problems that, in hindsight, could have been anticipated?

Imagine you could time travel. What advice would you give your past self from six, twelve, or eighteen months ago?

What actions could you have taken then to prevent current challenges?

Now, leap back to the present and look forward.

o   What aren't you doing today that you should be?

o   What early warning signs might you be overlooking?

o   What opportunities are you letting slip by?

Left unchecked, these errors of omission can jeopardise service delivery, erode public trust, and hinder your impact. But here's the good news: by recognising these patterns, you can start addressing them today.

Breaking the Pattern

Start by asking yourself and your teams these critical questions:

1. What conversations are you avoiding?

2. Which issues do you keep deferring?

3. What capabilities should you be building?

4. Where are you seeing early warning signs?

5. What opportunities are you hesitating to seize?

The goal isn't to eliminate all errors - that's impossible in our complex operating environment. Rather, it's about recognising patterns, particularly those errors of omission that often slip under our radar. It's about building the capability to identify and address issues before they become crises.

Remember, the world is getting more complex, not less. The ability to recognise and learn from both types of errors - commission and omission - will be crucial for navigating the challenges ahead.

Want to build your capability in managing uncertainty and avoiding errors of omission?

In our Managing Uncertainty course, we dive deeper into practical strategies for identifying and addressing both errors of commission and omission. Through premium video content, interactive case studies, and implementation toolkits, you'll develop the skills needed to proactively manage uncertainty in today's complex government environment.

Download our From Inaction To Action: A Leadership Checklist to start identifying potential errors of omission before they impact your outcomes.

From Inaction to Impact - A Leadership Checklist.pdf

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