Why Organizations Get Stuck and How to Break Through

Kaizen, Learning, and Execution Capability

Many organizations claim they want to learn and improve. In practice, you often see the opposite. Mistakes are avoided, risks minimized, and plans are so rigidly structured that little room is left for experimentation. Perhaps because it feels safe. But this mindset tends to hinder progress.

As Thomas J. Watson, former CEO of IBM, eloquently put it:

“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”

What he meant is simple. Success isn't about avoiding mistakes, but about learning faster than others. Those who try to eliminate every misstep often also eliminate the possibility of true innovation. Organizations that get stuck rarely do so due to a lack of effort. They get stuck because they view mistakes as failures instead of feedback.

The Japanese principle of Kaizen offers a different approach. Continuous improvement isn't about big strategic leaps, but about small, consistent improvements. Getting a little better every day. That also means trying things, measuring what works, and honestly acknowledging what doesn't. Without drama. Without blame.

That's precisely the power of a well-implemented OGSM approach. OGSM isn't a system to rigidly control everything in advance. It's a way to clarify what you want to achieve and then regularly check if you're on track. Short cycles, regular reviews, and clear metrics ensure that deviations become visible. Not to assign blame, but to learn faster and adjust course effectively.

In organizations where OGSM works well, a red indicator isn't a problem but a valuable signal. It's input for discussion. What do we learn from this? Does a strategy need to be refined? Do actions need to change? Or was the assumption simply incorrect? This way of looking at things makes it possible to correct without losing face.

Execution capability doesn't come from striving for perfection, but from the maturity to objectively assess results and lessons learned. From the willingness to admit that you don't get it right the first time and that adjusting course is part of professional work. When people know they are evaluated on progress and learning ability rather than flawlessness, initiative emerges.

The question, therefore, isn't how to prevent mistakes. The question is how to organize learning. With clear goals, measurable progress, and a regular rhythm of reflection, failure becomes not an endpoint, but a step in the process. Those who understand this not only increase their chances of success but also accelerate it.

‍