Fail Forward (#3)

A 3-year-old boy was trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor—a veritable sea of milk!

?When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, or giving him a lecture, or punishing him, said, "Aarav, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done.

?Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"

?Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "You know, Aarav, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that?

?We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which one do you prefer?" He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk. His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands.

?Let’s go out in the backyard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it."

The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it.

Reflections ?

1. Positive Perspective: Next time an unexpected challenge arises, choose understanding over blame. Approach with positivity and see it as an opportunity to learn and innovate.
2. Ownership & Solutions: When setbacks occur, involve those at the heart of the issue. Working together often leads to the best solutions.
3. Seek Alternatives: Encourage your team to delve into the "why" behind mistakes, and brainstorm alternatives. This proactive approach helps prevent recurrence and fosters creativity.
4. Safe Environment: Foster a culture where making mistakes is not feared, but rather viewed as a stepping stone to acquiring new knowledge.
5. Continuous Learning: Remember, with every action there's feedback. The more challenges we face, the more we learn, adapt, and grow.