This document discusses failing and learning from failure. It contains advice and myths about failure. Some key points include: successful people fail often but learn from mistakes; unexpected failures can lead to new knowledge; and when failure occurs it is important to learn from it, share lessons learned, and turn it into a positive learning experience. The overall message is that failure is a natural part of learning and progress, and we should embrace rather than fear failure.
18. 1. Take on specific
projects.
2. Make detailed promises.
3. Engage others. Fail
together.
4. Be clear about the risks.
5. Control what you can
influence.
6. When you fail - name it,
let it be spectacular.
#failfwd
When was the first time you learned how to count to 10? What about 100? Do you recall that in most kindergarten programs, you have to demonstrate the ability to count to 100 without making a mistake to move on to 1st grade? Show of hands? Who likes a easy challenge?
As we let those first sips of caffeine, sugar and Middle States energy seep into our soul - lets start off with a little easy exercise.
Before we start though - lets sit up a little straighter in our seats, deep breath in, deep breath out - get the blood flowing powerfully to our brains as were going to Taking it back to kindergarten this morning
Were going to count to 100. But there are a few rules we need to keep in mind - weve got to do it as a room of Kappans, in numerical order (no skipping ahead), with only 1 person speaking at a time and if we make a mistake because we miss a number, two people speak at a time, etc. - were starting back over. Everyone got it? Thumbs up if you do!
Perfect - were ready to rock. Okay, who wants to start it off?
[ad lib] Okay, lets start again. Maybe blood is flowing yet to our brain.
Lets change it up. Well do an individual challenge before we move into a group challenge - I think I started off to big.
Strategy for how we can do this differently? Any ideas?
You are the pilot on this adventure. So, Take your airplane. Hold it in your hand. Face the center aisle. (No test runs now)
No matter what happens next, keep track of your airplane.
Prizes are on the line.
Face other side. On the count of 3, launch your airplane.
Ready, 1 - 2 - 3!
Who was the winner? (award prize)
Was anyone harmed by us not being able to count to 100? Did we achieve our goal with either activity? (respond to answers)
And dont worry about the mess yet - just leave the planes where they are
As we take our seats, we need to think about some things.
Did anyone watch their plane not go as far as they thought it would?
(Click)
What was your physical reaction?
Anyone groan or immediately feel let down as your plane crashed or maybe even not even as confident as they do in other areas of life while building the airplane?
Howd it feel to make light of minor failure? (pause)
Better question - howd it feel to watch someone ELSE fail?
These two activities had no bearing on real life, yet in instance we likely had a visceral physical or emotional reaction to the situation.
In life - we can think of times when weve made minor mistakes, maybe even repeatedly. During his period of innovation, Edison once said - Ive not failed. Ive just found 10k ways that wont work. There are people we admire in our lives who likely give us inspiration and positive reinforcement when were hardest on ourselves. Yet we still believe (click)
the myths
Successful people fail often. In fact, they learn more from failure.
Think of someone whos story you know or are aware of that you consider to be successful.
Heres few that weve likely heard of -
As a newspaper editor was fired because he lacked imagination and ideas (click)
Fired as an evening news co-anchor for not being the right fit (click)
Rejected 144 times before he secured a publisher for his first book and was told then he wouldnt sell 20k copies, but went on to sell 1.5 million (Click)
Dropped from a record label after 3 months, then went on to win 6 grammy awards (Click)
all of these individuals have shared that they had certain habits in failing.
ones that certainly dont help us (Click)
when we avoid blame & cast doubt.
(Click)
and we dont sign up for visible opportunities because were afraid that well fail.
The other myth of failure?
If you dont plan for it, it wont happen.
Lets take NASA.
(Click)
2002 Atlantis had a piece of insulation break off and the left side of a booster get damaged, but it didnt impede the mission or the program and little follow-up or investigation.
The Challenger was launched next and a little piece of insulation broke off. This time, the shuttle and the 7 person crew were destroyed. Prompting the suspension of flights, a major investigation, and 29 recommended changes.
One was a success (Atlantis)
One was a failure (Challenger)
Desai & Madsen, two professors studied failure and determined that older airlines, with more failures, have less accidents.
and
their research in Academy of Management Journal also shared that
knowledge gained in success - is fleeting; gained in failure - sticks around for years.
So how do we fail forward and turn failure into an art form?
Tips once shared by Seth Godin in how to fail better:
Whenever possible, take on specific projects. Ones that you havent done before.
Make detailed promises to yourself. What does success look like? When will it occur?
Engage others. Let them know, when you fail, theyre failing with you.
Be clear about the risks. Detail them vividly, then Ignore any non-fatal risks - they only take your focus away.
Concentrate on the areas of the project or opportunity you have control and influence on, ignore all outside influence.
When you fail - and you undoubtedly will - name it. Make sure its spectacular. One of those memorable stories shared around.
Im talking you fell off a thousands of feet high cliff into a swirling, freezing ocean, and walked out onto the beach after swimming for miles type fall.
Win by failing. Not by being the first to cross the finish line at the end of a game. But caution - dont hunt out failure. Treat failure as a learning opportunity
Dont stigmatize failure, but learn from it. Encourage the sharing in your chapter when things dont go well.
Miss a deadline - talk about it.
Forget to make a flier for a meeting - move on. Use a different strategy.
Trip on carpet as youre walking into a large crowd - yell out Wooo hoo! I failed!! Try it. Think of a time you felt self-conscious, embarassed, anxious about the consequences - all because you failed. You didnt reach a goal, Achieve an objective.
Turn to someone in the row behind or next to you. Tell the story.
Concerned about sharing your own personal story?
Whats a time that you chapter has ultimately failed?
And it cant involve this one time, during our first session of the day - I was asked to make a paper airplane
You have 5 minutes to share - Go.
Can you woo hoo! i failed!! yet? No? Need a little inspiration?
Heres this guy (insert dog video)
To close out today - I want you to remember this. Failure and how you interact with it can change your whole world.
Why not make failure a lesson and an opportunity? Fail forward.