Another way that assessments transform organizations into better places to work is the way that they condition the members of an organization to think about the pros and cons of what they do in a non-threatening way. By insisting on the strict maintenance of confidentiality for all interviews, an assessment establishes a non-judgmental, respectful attitude toward the views of all the people who are interviewed. Non-attribution of data is essential for a free flow of information from participants in an assessment, but it also helps soften and transform organizational practices and begins to create better working environments.
Part of becoming a more mature organization involves recognizing that everyone makes mistakes and that the sooner you find the mistakes and their causes, the more profitable the company can be. As Stan Rifkin puts it, "There is no doing without mistakes. [The real question is:] What is the company’s response? In the world of action mistakes are inevitable. Organizations that have closed the knowing-doing gap treat mistakes as a natural part of doing and use the mistakes as occasions for learning. Surgeons call this ‘forgive and remember’!"