November Newsletter
James Coomber
I help change workplace cultures through the way you lead and communicate with your teams
Falling Forward - The surprising power of learning from our own mistakes
I’m excited to share this new look newsletter with you! Inspired by some of my favourite newsletters, I’ve made a bold change to the style and content so I can bring you more value than ever before.
Each month, we’ll explore a fresh theme across seven sections:
Thanks for being here, I hope you enjoy the new format as much as I enjoyed putting it together!
Quote of the month
Short story
Why Embracing Failure is Essential for Growth
"If you are not failing, you are not trying."
October was a month filled with challenges, setbacks, and, yes, failure. I’ve often had a complicated relationship with the word “failure”, a word that once held a negative weight for me, one that I actively tried to avoid. But last month taught me that it’s time to flip that perception on its head and view failure as an essential part of the growing process.
It’s tempting to give up when things aren’t going our way. But for those of us who’ve chosen a challenging path, stepping outside our comfort zones and striving to grow, we know that failure is part of the ride. Leaving the Fire Service last year and venturing into an entirely new field, I knew the road wouldn’t always be smooth. Still, facing setbacks can sometimes feel like a reason to pause and question the journey. And yet, according to a study by the Harvard Business Review, 90% of successful entrepreneurs report that the lessons from their biggest failures directly contributed to their success down the road. This shows us that failure is not a part of the journey to be feared, it’s often essential for growth and generating better outcomes.
Reflecting on why things haven’t gone well recently, I made the choice not to let these setbacks define me. Instead, I took a step back, grabbed a coffee with a friend, and let his positivity remind me of the bigger picture. Sometimes, all we need is a moment of reflection and a trusted voice to remind us of the lessons hidden in our missteps.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it means you’re one step closer to success, as long as you’re willing to learn from it! This month’s message to us all is, let’s embrace our mistakes as powerful teachers, helping us grow ever closer to where we want to be.
Task for you
5 steps to reflect and create change
In the spirit of learning from our mistakes and moving forward with purpose, I wanted to share a coaching exercise that I recently used on myself. Even as a coach, I find it essential to take time for self-reflection and growth, to recognise patterns, and identify areas I want to improve. This simple, 5-step reflection activity is one I use when I want to face an action I’ve been avoiding or gain clarity on a change I need to make. If you’re ready to make a positive shift this month, give it a go!
5 Steps to reflect and create change
Taking the time to work through these questions gave me fresh clarity and motivation to move forward. Sometimes, the smallest shift in perspective can open doors to the biggest transformations. If you decide to try this exercise, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Need some extra support?
If you’d like to explore this in more depth, feel free to book a free call with me. Together, we can dive into the patterns that may be holding you back and find ways to move toward the changes you want to make.
A bit about me
Later this month, I will be hosting another free webinar titled “Fearless conversations”
Workshop details
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this interactive workshop will help. In less than 45 minutes you'll discover:
This event is fully interactive with videos on so everyone can see each other and ask questions. I look forward to seeing you there.
Click on the link below to learn more and register for it.
Book recommendation
by Chris Fenning
When developing my workshops, one of the key questions I asked myself was "How can I enhance the delegates experience?" Having read Chris' book, I now have 39 different ideas that answer that question for me. This book is brilliant!
Podcast pick
Steven Bartlett needs no introduction and I’m sure many of you will have listened to many of his podcasts already. Stevens unique ability to ask difficult questions in a curious way make this episode with Dr Alok Kanojia a fascinating listen.
Dr K is a psychiatrist and co-founder of the mental health coaching company ‘Healthy gamer’, which aims to help with modern stressors, such as social media, video games and online dating. Listen in to hear his perspective on what makes us addicts!
I couldn’t help myself… I had to put a link in to a recent podcast I was a guest on. Anna Lundberg invited me in to discuss my journey from working in the UK Fire and Rescue Service, to a self employed leadership coach running my own practice.
In this episode we discuss our journeys, how we got here and how we have overcome the many business struggles along the way.
People to follow
Lisa Martello - Director Catching Bees
Infrastructure Project Director ??
Advocate for women and minorities ??
Posting personal thoughts about the workplace with a decent dose of sarcasm ??
Business Consultant, Non-Executive Director and Trustee I help organisations improve their internal processes or manage changes so they can do what they do but better, tailoring solutions that put people first.
3 个月Newsletter is really good James, hope you're well, be good to catch up sometime soon. ??
EMPLOYMENT LAW & HR | CORPORATE TRAINING | CULTURE CHANGE | PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT | LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
3 个月This is so useful and relevant for some of the organisations we work with James. Isn't it interesting to see how people respond to failure? There are those who really struggle to get past the disappointment, hurt and sometimes bitterness and blame, whilst others seem to have the ability to grow from the experience and go on to achieve so much more.
Great newsletter and a good reminder that we all need to stop and assess sometimes!
Seeing what the future holds.
4 个月Great newsletter James ????
Project Leader | Director | Member Board of Trustees | Public Speaker | Founder of Catching Bees
4 个月Just finished reading- love it James Coomber and thanks for the tag! ??? I have subscribed, and I look forward to future newsletters