The Virtue of Failing in a Best-Case Scenario

"I am going to contend that failing, utterly and miserably, in the absolute best-case scenario in our businesses is the 100% best and unsurpassed possible outcome for us and our entrepreneurial selves in terms of pure, raw value in the long-term."

This is paramount: by unsurpassed, I mean no other outcome can yield a better result. By value, I mean the gain, worth and overall benefit to you and I and potentially our businesses. By long-term, I mean after and outside of the immediate context of the current scenario or situation and forward into our futures. To achieve this, I am going to do the following and use my own, personal experience as a resource to:

1.    Define the "Absolute Best-Case Scenario".

2.    Summarize "Failing, Utterly and Miserably".

3.    Unite the aforementioned "Best-Case" (1) and "Failure" (2) concepts to uncover a single, transcending Truth, and discover Value.

Absolute Best-Case Scenario

The "Absolute Best-Case Scenario" is when we have successfully prospected, qualified, offered and signed an agreement with our ideal client. So who is the ideal client, right? The ideal client is the person and/or organization that desperately needs the exact solution we are currently offering, and they have full confidence and trust that we are the person and/or company to meet the need. To put it another way, when we were planning and thinking about who would get the most value out of our service product and who we want to work with, we designed the business with this category of client in mind. Everything about this setup is flawless: 1) we found them, or they found us, in a critical time in their business, 2) we have all of the necessary knowledge and resources to deliver a high-quality solution to them (more on this later), 3) we negotiated, detailed, and agreed on the terms regarding the scope and timeline. In addition to this, both client and entrepreneur genuinely enjoy each other's company. The "Absolute Best-Case Scenario" represents an overview of why we went into business in the first place.

Failing, Utterly and Miserably

The best way to bring this special kind of failure into clear view is to know we had all the necessary knowledge and resources (talent) to deliver a tangible business solution - and we didn't. In fact, not only was the solution not delivered, but it caused a material loss to us and the client, leading to an irreparable breach of trust and eventual termination of the relationship. Like a blissful relationship turned into heartbreak, it leaves both parties involved with the tormenting, bitter sentiment: "It wasn't supposed to end like this." Indeed, and practically speaking, this failure is 100% avoidable which makes it 100% worse. So, what does it mean? Here's the truth bomb I discovered for myself, and I'm challenging you with:

TRUTH BOMB - "You don't care enough."

Let's converge the two concepts above and restate them succinctly: you knew what to do, you could do it, but you didn't do it. Why? You didn't care enough. It begs the question: why didn't you care enough? This could be as pragmatic as the contractual arrangement itself. Maybe you underpriced your solution so the value you were contributing wasn't reflected in your fees and you felt demotivated. Perhaps the scope required more work than you really wanted to put in. Let's dig a little deeper. I researched the definition of "Care" and condensed a few interpretations to capture the essence of what it means simply: to selflessly seek the well-being of another. Furthermore, care has synonyms. And, we would be right to contemplate a variant of care in this case, namely: love. Love is fundamentally conceived, born and cultivated in the heart. Therefore:

VALUE (Conclusion and Challenge) -

Why is failing, utterly and miserably, in the absolute best-case scenario in our businesses the 100% best and unsurpassed possible outcome for us and our entrepreneurial selves in terms of pure, raw value in the long-term? Because it reveals the intention of our heart to us. I revel in this translation of this verse found in Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) of the Judeo-Christian bible: "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Good business is a matter of the heart, a consequence of love. Our value is measured by how well we give. And in business, to receive, we must first give to those we serve. As such, to really give (deliver), we must love (care). Care precedes delivery. Love precedes giving. The most excellent in business, give the most value.

The absolute best-case scenario is a mirror; failing, utterly and miserably, is a microscope. The window of opportunity provided and the value we have the potential to acquire from seeing and reflecting on the heart of our business is unsurpassed. The result could be staggering. Personally, this was a game-changer for me.

Challenge Question(s) - Are you fully-engaged in your product/service? Do you respect the people you work with? Are you valued? Does the thought of your work energize you? Do you love what you do?

If not, allow the virtue of failing in a best-case scenario to help you think strategically and pivot. Analyze your business. Audit your heart. Re-calibrate and go again.

Your long-term self will thank you.