I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again: Why Failure is Not a Four-Letter Word

In the world of technology change, "failure" is often treated like a dirty word. It’s something people try to avoid, cover up, or sweep under the carpet. But the truth is, failure, especially when it happens quickly, is one of the most powerful tools you have, to drive innovation and success. I want to break the stigma around failure and explore how “failing fast” can lead to faster success in digital transformations and technology change.

Why Failure Has Such a Bad Reputation

Right from an early age, failure has been ingrained in many of us as a negative thing. No one wants to admit they failed, especially in high-stakes environments like a large-scale technology transformation. The fear of failure can paralyse progress, causing people to take fewer risks or, worse, stick with something that isn’t working out of fear of being labelled a failure.

The reality though, is that failure is a natural part of the innovation process. If you're trying something new, you’re bound to encounter roadblocks and unexpected outcomes. This isn’t something to be feared; it’s something to learn from.

“Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward” John C. Maxwell (1)

In digital change programmes, this means recognising when something isn’t working, addressing it immediately, and pivoting, so you can get closer to the right solution faster.

The Power of Failing Fast

The concept of "failing fast" isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a strategic approach to minimising risk while maximising learning. In a fast-paced technology environment, the sooner you realise something isn't working, the quicker you can move on to something that might.

This allows teams to explore new avenues, iterate on ideas, and fine-tune processes much faster than if they were to stick with a flawed approach for too long.?

Failing fast doesn’t mean rushing through decisions recklessly. Instead, it means adopting an experimental mindset. You put an idea into practice, test it, gather feedback, and importantly, if it doesn’t work, pivot (reminds me of my favourite ‘Friends’ episode… you know the one!). The quicker you fail, the quicker you get to the next (better) solution.

As Thomas Edison famously said after countless attempts at inventing the lightbulb...

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”, Thomas Edison (2)

That mindset is crucial for any successful technology change programme.?

Think about it this way, if you fail fast, you can succeed even faster. Instead of spending weeks or months stubbornly defending a flawed approach, you adapt, learn, and move forward. The longer you wait to address failure, the more time, money, and resources you waste. I have seen many organisations pouring fuel on the flames of a 'programme on fire' because of the fear that “we have spent too much to change direction now”.?

"I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again" (3)

Chumbawamba’s immortal words should be the anthem for every technology transformation! Failure knocks you down - that’s inevitable. But it’s the act of getting back up, dusting yourself off, and trying again that matters most. This resilience is key to thriving in a constantly evolving tech landscape.

When you adopt a “failing fast” mentality, failure stops feeling like a devastating blow and starts becoming just another step in the process.

You get knocked down? Fine. But you’re getting up again… quicker, smarter, and better prepared to tackle the next iteration. This mindset keeps momentum alive when implementing complex technology change, preventing teams from stagnating in fear or indecision.?

Failing Fast Means Learning Fast

The secret sauce of failing fast is that it’s really about learning fast. Every time something doesn’t work, you gather valuable information: what went wrong; why it didn’t meet expectations; and how you can adjust. By treating failure as a learning opportunity, you can rapidly refine your change delivery.

To maximise this learning, you need a system in place for tracking and analysing failures. In Agile development, this often takes the form of sprint reviews and retrospectives. These are opportunities to openly discuss what worked and what didn’t, without fear of judgment. The team then decides how to pivot or improve, based on these findings.

Imagine you’re running a pilot for a new software integration. The system crashes in the first week, causing major delays.

• In a traditional “failure-is-bad” mindset, this might be seen as a disaster.
• With a “failing fast” approach, however, you can quickly assess what caused the issue, learn from it, and adjust before moving on to full-scale implementation. This saves you from far worse (and costly) problems down the line.

Create a Culture That Rewards Risk

If you want your digital transformation or change programme to succeed, you need to create a culture where it’s safe to fail. Your team should feel empowered to take risks without fearing backlash when things don’t go perfectly. Innovation thrives when people are encouraged to push boundaries and try new things, even if they don’t always get it right the first time.?

Leaders play a crucial role in setting this tone. When managers are open about their own failures and frame them as opportunities for growth, it sends a powerful message to the team. Encourage transparency and open communication, especially in post-failure reviews. Make it clear that the goal isn’t perfection - it’s progress.

One way to foster this environment is to reward experimentation. Instead of punishing teams for failed initiatives, celebrate the learning that comes from it. Google, for instance, has famously adopted a “fail fast” philosophy, encouraging teams to experiment, iterate, and share lessons learned from what didn’t work.

Note: one of my colleagues has recently written a related and highly insightful article about how psychological safety is critical to enable high performance in teams. I would definitely recommend reading the full article here (4).

Mitigating the Risks of Failure

Of course, embracing failure doesn’t mean recklessly diving into projects without a plan.?

There are ways to mitigate the risks of failure, so you can learn from it without facing catastrophic consequences. Start by defining small, incremental goals that allow for experimentation without putting the entire programme at risk. This is the essence of the “fail fast” methodology. It’s about taking calculated risks, where the cost of failure is low and the potential for learning is high.

In Agile development, this might look like short sprints or MVPs (minimum viable products), where you release a basic version of the product to test assumptions before committing to a full-scale build.

It’s also essential to have a strong feedback loop. Constantly gather data, user input, and team observations to track progress and identify issues before they spiral out of control. The quicker you identify a problem, the easier it is to course-correct without derailing the entire programme.

Fail Fast, Succeed Faster

When implementing technology change, failure isn’t the enemy, stagnation is!

By adopting a “fail fast” mentality, you can turn missteps into valuable insights, rapidly iterate solutions, and ultimately succeed quicker than if you tried to avoid failure altogether. It’s about shifting your perspective and seeing failure for what it truly is: an essential part of the journey toward innovation.

The next time your team hits a roadblock, ask yourself this - is this a failure, or is this an opportunity to learn something important? You might be surprised at how quickly you can turn failure into success!

So, stop treating failure like a swearword, and start seeing it as the powerful tool that it is. After all, as Chumbawamba intimated, the faster you get knocked down, the faster you get back up again. And that’s how you succeed!

References:?

1. John C. Maxwell - ?“Failing Forward” (2007)
2. F. L. Dyer and T. C. Martin?Edison - ?“Edison: His Life and Inventions”?(1910)
3. Chumbawamba – “Tubthumping” (Song, 1997)
4. Simon Houghton – “The Importance of Team Psychological Safety – and why we rarely see it” (2024)