Mistakes do not have to be a curse nor failure the last nail in the coffin, good teams and strong leaders learn from everything. Organizations want to reduce mistakes, eliminate failures and insulate themselves from negative consequences. Focusing on failure would be an error. Persons in a position of leadership (PIAPOL) need to approach issues with the skill and precision of an epidemiologist dispatched to discover the root cause of an outbreak. There is a difference between a mistake and a repeated mistake as well as those made in the course of learning new skills and those made for lack of care. We will explore three simple principles that will assist your team to gaining from failures rather than allowing them to cause you to fall behind. Three keys 🔑 to making a mistake count:
Ignorance is not bliss, it’s a death sentence. What does the second most quoted English poet, Alexander Pope have to say about failure? “A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying... that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. For an organization the biggest mistake is to not allow room for employees to make mistakes. If the culture of the company is to be heavy handed with mistakes then they will miss opportunities to hear about near misses that could expedite the process of adaptation. Experimentation is a scientific process that inherently relies on failure. We theorize, we test our theories in real world applications and we learn whether our theory is true or untrue. In that process there are several steps where our perspectives were wrong and we adjust course to move closer to our goals.
Pain of failure is a lifelong professor, fear of failure will cut you off at the knees. Writing in Psychology Today, Dr. Jeremey E Sherman makes a few philosophical observations about the natures of mistakes, “ We learn by trial and error, but learn much faster when trials are similar and errors are clearer.” Touching on the reality in life that most of us are stubborn and chose the hard road when learning something. But he elaborates on a principle that will help unlock the formula to reducing the frequency and impact of those mistakes, simplification, “The cobbler’s trials are largely the same from shoe to shoe—same materials, tools and workspace, and his errors are easy to identify—this shoe fell apart; that one didn’t fit.” This means we can either engage in simplified tasks to minimize our exposure to the potential for failure or we can work to build processes that simplify what we do. Many people in leadership will mention making their systems like McDonald’s to achieve a consistent product output. Efficiency is essential in any business, reducing waste and optimizing operational flow, as long as that process does not completely choke out any room for organizational creativity which is essential in our rapidly evolving market.
Moving forward isn’t the only measure of success as it is possible to be moving forward in an endless circle that goes nowhere. Move onward and upward. If we know and own our mistakes we aren’t afraid to share them which allows our teams to learn openly and rapidly from them. As the market evolves we have to be willing to admit that what worked yesterday will not work today, so we are constantly evolving and thereby operating in trial and error. Trial and error is a scientific process if we structure our thoughts and experiments towards being productive in a learning culture. Failure in the scientific process is not the end of the road but a step towards truth. When the great inventors Thomas Edison was asked about the apparent fruitlessness of his labors while developing battery technology, he replied, "Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work." By admitting what hasn’t worked we can move towards what will. By creating an environment where mistakes can be shared, the lessons can be spread more expediently to assist others in not repeating them. When failures happen we must lean into them rather than avoiding them because they often hold the keys to unlocking the next level of lessons. We often view or desire to take broad steps in our growth but it is important to remember that consistent progress can come in the form of crawling, taking small steps or wading through thick muck. We cannot ignore our mistakes, this is a recipe for repeating the same issues. We created a video that demonstrates and exposes the errors in several common management approaches to employee mistakes, you will laugh and learn. Onward and upward. IZ Ventures - more than business coaching and consulting, we help you connect, collaborate and conquer.
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Several years back when I started my first construction business there was a helpful article that put business in perspective. I do not recall if it was a building magazine like Home Builder or a business journal like Inc. The message was simple, when you are starting out you must be ready to face the opportunities that come your way. The analogy that the author used was that of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. When you start your entrepreneurial venture you are going to find a lot of pennies. Your opportunities aren't all going to be flashy or exciting but there is more than one way to make a legitimate dollar. As a savvy business person you want to work towards turning your pennies into nickels, your nickels into dimes and so on. 1. Don't curse your pennies, embrace them. Get your hundred pennies and make your dollar happily and honestly. 2. When you are starting out you cannot afford to step over pennies, you need them. Learn to identify, gather and master your revenue streams. 3. Take small steps forward. Keep your eyes open for means to turn your pennies into nickels. Grow consistently and effectively, it can be as dangerous to grow too quickly as it is to not grow at all, both can lead to a painful death. 4. Growth is essential. Smart growth is consistent growth. As you master the penny life and progress to the nickel life, you will build skills and systems that prepare you for the dime life and beyond. 5. Learn from those who have gone before you. You can learn as much from those who moved effectively into the quarter and beyond business as those who drowned in those same opportunities. 6. Even if you reach the quarter and beyond level, don't forget what got you to where you are. Revenue is not the same as profit, some high revenue projects can be low margin whereas some low revenue work can be higher margin. You can build wealth in any realm if you know what you are doing and how you positioning your team. Often it is best to diversify so your business isn't pigeon holed in a specific market segment. Life is about opportunities not convenience, and you can quote me on that. Many of your opportunities will not arrive in majestic packages or sums that will make you rich quickly. If you choose a service industry like property restoration than those opportunities often come at all of the oddest hours of the day or night. Identify the opportunities that are best for you and your team. Structure yourself and your team to see, understand and meet the needs, values and opportunities that the market presents. UFC star Conner McGregor was arrested for assault? The account sounds like he threw a vindictive temper tantrum to prove a point that his team can’t be messed with. Conner's decision to participate at any level is a reflection of bad judgement. Analyzing bad judgement in a fit of rage is an interesting exercise in armchair psychology. Some of these reflections are helpful and applicable to personal as well as organizational leadership. If you haven’t heard yet, here is the initial story from ESPN on the news regarding UFC mega star Conner McGregor. 1. Is this a reflection of that person showing their true colors - it’s them being them culminating in a public display that they cannot deny? On a broader scale than Conner, when someone rages what does it communicate about that person? As a person in a position of leadership daily decisions reflect on character and build up over time to shape the perspective of who you are as a person and your effectiveness as a leader (PIAPOL). Leaders must remember that their primary responsibility is to lead themselves first. Effective leaders lead by example. 2. Is this a reflection of poor team choices? How many celebrities as well as those in a position of leadership choose to surround themselves with yes men? It is important to have complimentary and contrary voices in your inner circle, regardless of your position, so that someone can tell you, “This is a bad idea.” Effective leaders have to bring people into their teams that can build upon their strengths, supplement their weaknesses and are empowered to input especially where there may be blind spots. 3. People in a position of leadership often choose to deal with conflict in extremes - either disappearing from the picture or overreacting to an issue. Both extremes have consequences and can be equally detrimental to the health of a team. Conflict can be valuable and positive even handled correctly. There is not clear manual for these interactions but dealing with the issues in as calm and clear a manner as possible is key to productive resolution. Leaders have given away the luxury of looking around the room to see, “Who is going to deal with this issue.” Take the conflicts head on while you establish processes that build clarity, consistency and accountability. 4. The broader view for organizations such as UFC and president Dana White is to reflect on what behaviors were or were not addressed throughout their history with McGregor. I don’t know enough about their relationship to have an opinion about it but know that this will be part of the discussion. Leaders have the greatest point of power and influence at the point of hire - who you let in the door is one of the most important decisions you can make. Training, engagement, development and discipline are secondary to that primary decision. Dana is drawing a line in the sand on this incident, speculation will circle around whether that line should have been drawn sooner and if the organization did their due diligence in managing their employees prior to this public display. Do you have more thoughts on this incident in particular as it relates to leadership? Do you have more thoughts on this incident in context with personal and organizational leadership? If water chooses the path of least resistance, humans are attracted to the course of greatest complication. We do it to ourselves. Trading clarity for complexity and flash for function when neither serve our vision or our goals. How do we ensure that we aren't over thinking our processes and missing out on our opportunities? Analysis paralysis We over think. We over analyze. We freeze when if we would begin moving in a direction we will find that we can still steer our ship in a different direction. We are so afraid of failure that we fail to seize upon an opportunity. Something to remember is that failure to act is often more detrimental than failing while we act and learning as we go. Have a vision. Put your plan in motion. Adapt as you gather new information and experiences. Inability to adapt In contrast to failure to launch, what happens when we are making progress but we refuse to receive information, analyze results and adjust our course? Darwin's concept of survival was built upon a species ability to adapt. Adaptation does not mean that you are the smartest, strongest or most capable but that you are willing to respond appropriately to new data along the way. Having vision and momentum does not guarantee success. Do not lose sight of your vision. Do not lose your thirst for knowledge. Do not lose your hunger to improve. The attraction to complexity If something can be made more complicated we will find a way to do it. There is a fine balance between too much and too little information and both can be deadly. Break things down to their most basic functions and ensure that the core values are provided the greatest measure of operational energy. Fine tune but don't be so attracted to being flashy that functionality is sacrificed. Regularly ask, "Are we missing something?" while also asking, "Are we making this harder than it has to be?" Keep it simple. Be clear, consistent and accountable. |
AuthorThoughts on personal and professional development. Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help growth-minded restoration professionals shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. You can watch The DYOJO Podcast on YouTube on Thursdays or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
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