The Failure Myth

As a preamble, we should first investigate what defines failure. I would like to suggest, that until every ‘failed’ step is taken, and every 'failed' assumption is made, there is no way to know exactly what problems need to be fixed or if indeed, anything is broken. Failure is part of our journey towards success.

As humans we strive to succeed, to be seen as competent, to be ‘better than’, etc. As entrepreneurs, it is natural to want our activities to be successful, to be ‘The Best’. 

But the road to success is not linear; sometimes we face disappointment, shame, and self-judgment. We get annoyed with ourselves when results do not seem to comply with our mental images and tell ourselves maybe we did not follow the original plan, or did not plan well enough, or maybe we are self-sabotaging. 

We forget that failure is a necessary part of success. Tiger Woods did not wake up the best in the world. Neither did Pavarotti or Steve Jobs. For anyone to get to the top, to achieve success in any industry, any endeavour, any sport, it is necessary to fail over and over. It however continues to surprise me that no one teaches us how to fail consciously. 

Both winning and losing are necessary to complete the puzzle. There is no way to know what we do not know before we start, no way to even be curious or ask the right questions because we do not know what we don’t know. 

Now let us plot out the steps to conscious failure to avoid large-scale malfunction. To begin with, write down components and sub-outcomes for each stage of the route between input (start of the initiative or goal) and outcome; examine each stage and resistance point against this; examine what’s not doing what was expected through time; come up with new choices to try, and run through the loop again; then ultimately create steps to ensure the new is integrated and on track to become a new behaviour. Success.

Here are more specifics to help you integrate the necessary failure, and avoid guesswork and reactions to what might seem inconsistent with your goals:

·       Include timelines, parameters, and consequences of results, specific elements of what success for each step towards your goal should look like, and what possible failure might look like.

·       If something negative occurs (i.e., failure), consider exactly what is happening? Which elements worked and which did not, and how did they work or not work. What/who was involved, how did the result differ from the expectations? What does the failure tell you? What is succeeding instead of what you wish for? How does the remedy for the problem influence the next step? How long should you allot for each occurrence before determining whether it is failure, or just part of the success trajectory you were not aware of?

·       Notice the consequences of the outcomes for each stakeholder. What comes into play with these factors when considering if you want to continue down one trajectory rather than designing a new one? What will it look like to decide to change course? How will your decisions effect your vision of an outcome? How are the stakeholders affected by each choice?

·       How much failure are you willing to risk before you determine that either your outcome is untenable, or you need to make structural changes? What part does ego and denial play? Does everyone agree what constitutes failure? Success? 

·       What will you notice when your trajectory to success is negatively affecting your baseline givens? What are you willing to change, or accept, to reach your goal?

·       What will it look like, specifically, when you have concluded your efforts? Will parts of the failure be factored in as success? Do all stakeholders buy in to the result? If not, what remains unresolved? And how will you bring this forward?

Of course, there is no way to know before you start what any specific stage will look like. But 

by including conscious failing, you will have a far better chance of succeeding.

Let me end with a controversial comment: “Real failure does not exist”.