Why Failure Isn’t About Losing
Will you join me in discussing some problems I have with the way we interpret the word failure? Failure is a noun defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
- omission of occurrence or performance
- lack of success
- a falling short
- one that has failed
The term failure as used in business, sports and relationships is almost always associated with a bad happening. When was the last time you heard something had failed and you screamed “Hooray!”?1 As the definition points out “failure” is normally a term used to describe an event, occurrence or some outcome not being achieved. Unfortunately, the word failure often gets attached to people who are related to some failed event, occurrence or outcome, i.e. definition four above, “one that has failed”.
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… eine Zahl bewegt sich nicht dadurch, dass man nur auf sie schaut…
6 年Steve – I like your view about failure and want to add: Part of the success of entrepreneurial spirit is for me: ‘…failure is an option…’ & ‘…have your own education/eco system…’ Both you captured, when you describe why failure isn’t about losing. To have a feedback loop in place, revisit actions, learning, anticipating, adjusting and adapting is key as part of my own eco system in finance. And as result, changing actions for the future and increase the possibility to reach the goal. Failure is for me losing, if you try to reach the goal without changing actions the 2nd time.
Lead Generation, Sales and Marketing, New product to Market Introduction and Sales Advisory at Witzing Group Nigeria
6 年Awesome writeup Steve. In my opinion, failure has proven to be an amazing gift to mankind; you can imagine the array of defective items, services, products, drugs, etc that would have flooded earth if not for the gift of failure which enables us to perfect on every status quo. Failure is a unique gift that brings out the best in us. I am best at what I do today because of the past experiences of "failure". So, let's celebrate our failures as the first level of success in every endeavor.
Finance Manager | Business Performance Manager |
6 年Failure completes your learning
Senior Business Consultant EuroNorth at Dassault Systèmes
7 年Steven, good article with valuable comments from the knowledgeable audience. Failure for me has always been a continuous learning development, neverless if it's related on individual level or organizational outcomes. Reaching to this understanding it has required a journey along path of life, reflecting on my personal one and observing others. Now to the point. When not reaching certain target, we tend to react by using the closure "You Failed", instead to reflect on "Why" we're in this situation (again). This is what I miss today, ”Why” should be connected to the indicator of ”You Failed”. My condensed give away of "What" to optimize in order to reach some continues improvements: A. Clarify expectstions - not reaching targets is usually based on not well defined KPI's with poor cascade discipline. We talk about them, do we really understand them? B. Understand business cultures, enable conditions and adapt in a harmonized way - rapid aqusitions in the wave of circulare economies moves fast. Are human mind sets prepared for the Changes with that speed? C. Understand the history first, make future successes later - What did we learn from our past and others? How did we execute them and what results have been benefitial or not?
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7 年This doodle by a drunk moron is a failure. who needs Rembrandt.