Succeed to fail
Embedding failure flexibility in the innovation culture of NS
J.K. Verhoef (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
Rebecca Price – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Creative Processes)
T.J. Hebbink – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - DesIgning Value in Ecosystems)
Rembert Sierksma – Mentor (Nederlandse Spoorwegen)
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Abstract
This thesis explores the concept of failure flexibility within the innovation culture at NS through an exploratory case study. The innovation process involves setbacks, unexpected directions, and uncertainty. Recognising failures as learning opportunities rather than negative outcomes is essential to navigating this process. However, societal norms have established a performance-focused mindset, leading to a fear of failure.
This fear hinders innovation within organisations like NS, where the high societal dependency on safe and punctual services fosters risk aversion. This cautious approach extends to safer domains, where being open to failure is desired. Such a safe domain within the NS is the Innovatie Platform, a team dedicated to facilitating innovation projects and conducting workshops.
Using an action research approach, the study investigated the role of failure flexibility in NS’s innovation culture, employing various anthropology and design methods. The findings showed that while NS employees understand the importance of embracing failure in innovation, they don’t know how to use failure to grow in the innovation process.
To address this, a two-to-three-hour workshop was designed, focusing on 1) letting go of expectations, 2) distinguishing between failure in innovation and regular projects, and 3) learning as much as possible in the time that we have. The workshop was conducted six times, with an average of eight participants per session. It provided a positive, energetic, and safe environment for participants to experience the role of failure in innovation, initiating a mindset shift that even led to the assignment of new projects.
While the workshop effectively initiates a transformation towards a more innovative culture —building trust, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, and altering mindsets— there remains room for improvement. Enhancing organisational governance to embed this concept more deeply and making moments of failure more explicit could further strengthen the workshop’s impact.
This work contributes to existing research by demonstrating the use of design thinking to highlight the value of failure, offering a practical solution to previously identified tensions, and designing a workshop tailored to an organisational context in addition to an educational context. Despite the workshop’s success in fostering a failure-flexible mindset, future work should focus on overcoming challenges related to deadlines, clarifying responsibilities, and better defining innovation projects.
Ultimately, this research provides valuable insights for cultivating a failure-flexible innovative culture at NS and offers a useful framework for other organisations aiming to incorporate failure as a constructive element in their innovation processes.