Failure is a Growth Opportunity

Chip Conley, in his book Emotional Equations, presents the following:

Disappointment equals Expectations minus Reality.

I like this for a number of reasons. As a technical professional who likes working with both data and people, the ability to present it in a formulaic structure is helpful. It also provides the ability to isolate those terms for which we have some control. This led me to think about the disappointment that is being felt this week in places like the University of Iowa and San Diego State after losing the NCAA basketball championships. Within his formula, we can consider the idea of resilience. That ability to bounce back from a major disappointment.

In my work with technical professionals, resilience becomes a frequent topic of conversation. Project plans or designs that are rejected or veer off course. Promotions that take longer or don't happen. Challenging feedback or a poor performance review. All can be disappointing where resilience is the key to moving forward, improving, achieving personal or professional goals.

How do we tackle these situations? With curiosity, objectivity, and honesty. Some of the questions we discuss are:

What part of the situation do you have to own?

How could you approach a similar situation differently in the future?

How would you like to move forward?

The experts and sports commentators often present the idea as "having a short memory" as a key to resilience. The baseball closer blows a save one day and has the chance to go back out the next. The difference between the good and the great: effectively using failure as the fuel for future success.

#resilience #coaching #technicalprofssionals #success #softskills