Can errors boost learning? Create safe spaces for them at work.

Hello!

You've probably heard of the 10.000-hour rule, a concept made famous by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success. This rule is based on the research of psychologist Anders Ericsson, who studied how experts develop their skills. The core idea? Mastery doesn’t come from talent alone, but from consistent practice.

But do we really need 10,000 hours to become experts? Not necessarily. Ericsson himself clarified that it's not just about time—it’s about deliberate practice: structured, hands-on learning that targets improvement through real-world challenges and feedback. This means that instead of just watching tutorials or reading, we need to actively engage with problems, make mistakes, and refine our approach.

 But why? Let’s go back and look at the data—what happens in our brains when we practice?

🧠 A Neuroscientific Approach

From a neuroscience perspective, practice plays a crucial role in our learning process. When we make a mistake, the brain generates a specific electrical signal known as "error-related negativity" (ERN). This signal kicks in almost instantly after a mistake, helping us adjust and get better over time

The brain detects errors before we become conscious of them. This activity,  which oiriginates in the cingulate cortex, activates mechanisms that allow us to correct our strategies in similar situations. This process is so fast that, in many cases, our brain knows we made a mistake before we are even aware of it.

But what happens when we face a similar situation after making a mistake? The answer is crucial. Instead of repeating the mistake, we are more capable of adapting, making precise adjustments to our behavior. This phenomenon is what allows us to improve and learn from repetitive practice.

The findings suggest that mistakes are not just setbacks but essential for skill development. By engaging this error-processing mechanism, learners retain information better and improve performance over time.

✅ We need to make mistakes

Practice is key— the problem is, society conditions us to avoid failure at all costs. In school, we’re taught that there’s one right answer, and in the workplace, mistakes can mean lost resources, time, and credibility. But if we want to grow, we need to rethink our approach to learning.

In her TED Talk, "How to Learn? From Mistakes", educator Diana Laufenberg emphasizes the transformative power of experiential learning. She argues that traditional educational systems often prioritize the pursuit of the single correct answer, inadvertently discouraging students from taking risks and learning from failure. Laufenberg advocates for creating learning environments where mistakes are not just tolerated but are seen as essential components of the educational journey. By engaging students in hands-on, real-world experiences, they develop resilience and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

This mindset doesn’t just apply to schools. In the workplace, we face the same tension: perform perfectly or risk credibility. That’s where Eduardo Briceño steps in.

In “How to Get Better at the Things You Care About”, he explains why high performers succeed: they don’t just do—they practice deliberately.

Most professionals stay stuck in performance mode. But real growth happens when we create safe spaces for experimentation—spaces where learning is the goal, not perfection.

💥 What if mistakes were the key to learning faster and better?

Forward-thinking organizations are turning this idea into reality. From immersive simulations to real-time feedback platforms, the goal is the same: build controlled environments where teams can experiment, fail safely, and grow with purpose.

 🔹 Walmart uses Virtual Reality to recreate high-pressure scenarios—like Black Friday—helping employees improve decision-making without the risk of real-world consequences.

🔹 Stanford University lets future surgeons rehearse complex procedures in virtual environments, enhancing precision and confidence.

🔹 Platforms like Codecademy simulate coding challenges where learners can make, identify, and fix mistakes, with guided feedback loops.

The common thread? practice that mirrors reality, allowing people to learn by doing, refine through feedback, and succeed when it matters most. 

 📊 What’s New, Excel?

This month introduces powerful new features designed to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency. Here are the highlights:

 ✅ TrimRange: Clean Data Faster The new TRIMRANGE function allows users to remove extra spaces and unwanted characters across entire data ranges, simplifying data cleaning without extra formulas.

 🔹 This feature has rolled out to all Windows CC (Current Channel) and MEC (Monthly Enterprise Channel) users.

✅ Python in Excel & Copilot in Excel with Python

Python in Excel is now generally available to eligible Enterprise and Business users in Excel for the web, and preview for Family and Personal users. You can now create, edit, and re-calc Python formulas in any workbooks on your browser, along with Windows. Copilot users can use Copilot in Excel with Python to do advanced analysis. 

 This is now rolling out to Mac Insiders users.

✅ Excel for iOS

Now you can open shared Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on iPhone and iPad devices without a Microsoft account.

They say to err is human… but to practice until you get better? That’s where the magic happens. So if you mess up today, celebrate it: your brain just got a little smarter.

Want to explore more into this topic? Watch our full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57alJ5RMKYY

See you soon, we’ll catch you in the next edition.