In Praise of the “Failing” …

We have often heard from our elders that “Failure is the stepping stone to success” or “Fail until you succeed” and similar such timeless quotations, often drawing strength from them but also sometimes wondering whether these quotations are meant only to encourage us during our tough times. ?I am no exception and often had mixed feelings about these references!!

Times are changing. We are evolving very quickly…or rather forced to if we want to stay relevant. Learning on the go is a reality and will play a major role in our evolutionary process. In my experience, making mistakes and failure will also play an equally important role if we want to achieve something worthwhile. Of late, I have started treating the above-mentioned quotation as directives rather than motivational pieces….and not without reason.

I now very strongly feel that there is a mindset change required in our environment. We need to move away from stigmatizing “failing” to advocating and evangelizing it. ?“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new” advocated Mr. Einstein… it was just that. He was not spelling this as something motivational, but rather was sharing his mantra for success.

Experience might not be enough sometimes, to solve the problems of the present or the future. We live in unprecedented times. New thinking and new ways are required. Trial and error - ?the only way forward. It is logical to assume that we will encounter multiple failures along the way. If we are not trained for failures, we might be tempted to give up in the middle or when we are close to the solution. That is why, preparing, anticipating, and being trained for things not always, going our way becomes imperative. ??

The volatile and uncertain times we live in are an indication of things to come. The future demands that we increase our ability to comprehend, develop innovative mindsets, and train for deep thinking to become better problem solvers. The need is to shape ourselves into fearless global citizens of tomorrow.

We need a paradigm and a culture shift. We must begin by teaching our children that it is okay to fail sometimes. A true measure of potential is the ability to fail, not give up and succeed. ?If we are failing while trying something new, it is not bad. Analyze, learn and move on. ?If we are failing due to oversight, carelessness. laziness or lack of effort, that needs to be checked and discouraged. Not all failures are equal or productive. There is a clear distinction. It should be made clearer and explicit. The measure of intent, effort, hunger, and ambition can differentiate one from the other.

Failure while trying something new is a positive failure. It breeds resilience, introspection, experimentation, and course correction. Intermittent success, however small is also desirable and often attainable. Common sense dictates that if you are in the right direction and still fail to reach your goal, you will have something to show for your efforts. My experience has proven to be no different. Success is always motivating and encouraging. It instills confidence, hope, enthusiasm, and the ability to take calculated risks.

Create a fail-safe environment. Moving away from result orientation to effort orientation is a good beginning. Give your 125% and encourage people around you to do that as well. Incentivize the right behaviour. Encourage collaboration & teamwork. ?Motivate people to be disciplined and focused. Develop strong work ethics. The leadership team should own up to mistakes and discuss them at length. Apart from collective learning, this will send a message that failing is acceptable as long as it is owned up quickly. Creativity will be encouraged. A learning culture will take root. ??

In a society obsessed with success and strength, we need to highlight the reality of occasional failure and embrace it as an integral part of the process. After all, who has not failed more than once in his or her life ?? We should pass on the message strongly to our next generation that if they are not failing, they are not aiming high enough. It is high time that we get out of our comfort zone and try things that we love and are passionate about…and keep failure as a realistic possibility. Then only we can keep going and achieve what we have set out for!!

Providing that psychological safety and creating a fail-safe environment at our homes, offices, and society will go a long way in building the leaders of tomorrow and equipping them with the necessary mindset: fearlessness, experimentation, persistence, and hope!! ?

Failing is not “failure”.

Dream big and aim high, fail sometimes but keep going. The world is your playground !!

#Strategyk

#dropintheocean

www.strategyk.biz

?

??????????????