The person who makes an ordinary mistake safely has room to learn without hiding.

Learning depends on errors being visible, and errors are only visible where they are survivable. If an ordinary slip brings blame, people do not stop making slips; they get better at concealing them, and the correction that could have taken a minute is deferred until it costs a great deal more. A place where mistakes can be admitted plainly is not a lax place. It is usually the one where fewer serious things go wrong.

When someone tells you about a small error, respond to the telling before the error. Thank them, fix it together, and keep any judgement for the pattern rather than the instance.