Confronting Mistakes (PDF)

JAN U. Hagen is a member of the faculty and director of Open Enrolment Programs at ESMT European School of Management and Technology, Berlin, Germany. His research and teaching focus on leadership, error management, and crisis management; he is particularly interested in the way teams and organizations deal with errors. A pilot himself, he has been studying the interaction of flight crews in the cockpits of airline and military aircraft for several years as part of his research. In addition to his academic work, Jan has more than 15 years of management experience in the European financial services industry. He received his doctoral degree in business administration from Freie Universität Berlin.

'A riveting, at times thriller-like, read reading this book, and talking about how it could work in your field, might be the beginning of the change you need' - Michael Skapinker, Financial Times

'Confronting Mistakes is a remarkable book. Its gripping case studies of airline disasters will keep readers on the edge of their chairs, and its penetrating analysis is deep and sophisticated. Hagen's writing is highly accessible and engaging and will enlighten everyone from error experts to curious readers in other industries. The book is destined to be a classic in the error field.'

Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School

'Human behavior is a complex ecosystem, but that is no excuse to wave a white flag of surrender. Hagen has done a masterful job of capturing the salient lessons from the high risk field of aviation and made them available to the world. A tip of the hat to a fellow warrior in the battle against human error and their often tragic consequences.'

Tony Kern, CEO, Convergent Performance, former B-1B command pilot and Chair of the US Air Force Human Factors Steering Group

'It is a truly excellent work. Everyone who reads it will take something positive away from it.'

Captain Robert L. Bragg, First Officer of PanAm 1736, 1977

'Compelling'

Andrew Hall, FT