There’s a strange trend in today’s job descriptions. Companies want candidates with 20 years of experience, deep expertise in legacy technologies, hands-on mastery of new and emerging tools, and preferably someone who is still “young and energetic.”
We keep searching for finished products instead of potential.
This mindset shows up inside projects too. Many PMs expect their team to always be right, always perfect, always efficient. But projects are built by humans, not machines. And humans learn, grow, innovate, and stretch only when they’re allowed to experiment—and yes, sometimes fail.
In my book, Be a Cool Project Manager, I share a small anecdote about this. Cool PMs don’t just deliver projects—they create an environment where people feel safe to try, explore, and contribute without fear of judgement. That’s the root of a strong and motivated project team.
Failure Is Not a Threat — It’s a Learning System
A team that fears failure hides mistakes. They stop experimenting. They stop thinking creatively. They do the bare minimum to avoid criticism.
And soon the project becomes a dull, mechanical race to the deadline.
But a team that is allowed to fail safely does the opposite:
- They learn faster.
- They take ownership.
- They propose new ideas.
- They feel more connected to the work.
Failure becomes a feedback loop, not a punishment.
As PMs, we often forget that our team is also a stakeholder—one of the most important ones. While the project benefits from their work, they must benefit from the project as well. Not monetarily, but through new experience, new learning, and new confidence.
The PM’s Responsibility: Create a Non-Judgmental Space
Giving feedback is not a ritual or a favour.
It’s something we owe our team.
And the feedback must be:
- Specific
- Constructive
- Tailored to each individual
- Designed to challenge, not belittle
A PM’s job is not to intimidate the team into perfection. It is to empower them into excellence.
When people feel safe, they don’t just follow instructions—they think, question, innovate, and take responsibility. That’s how real growth happens.
And Here’s the Best Part: It Helps Customers Too
A project culture that encourages learning doesn’t just uplift the team—it directly improves the customer experience.
When people feel safe to experiment and take ownership, customers benefit in three powerful ways:
1. Improved Productivity
A motivated team works with energy, clarity, and intention. They solve problems faster and deliver more consistently because they are not working out of fear—they’re working with purpose.
2. Value Additions Come Naturally
Teams that feel empowered suggest ideas, optimisations, and improvement areas that PMs or customers may not have even considered.
These value adds strengthen delivery and deepen the customer relationship.
3. Projects Stop Feeling Like a Deadline Race
Instead of “finishing tasks,” the team starts thinking about “making an impact.”
This mindset shift results in better solutions, higher quality, and increased trust from the customer.
When the team thrives, the customer wins.
In Summary
We don’t need perfect people.
We need willing learners.
We need curious minds.
We need safe spaces.
A cool PM never tries to manage people into silence.
A cool PM creates a space where people feel confident to try something new—even if it fails the first time.
Because that’s where innovation hides.
That’s where growth begins.
And that’s how extraordinary teams build extraordinary projects.