Failing Forward: Designing Intelligent Failure
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Cultures deal with failure differently. In the US, failure is seen as a learning experience, but it can still negatively impact individuals. In Japan, business failure severely damages one's reputation and career prospects. Germany also views failure unfavorably and aims to minimize risk. Islamic cultures and more conservative societies have little tolerance for failure. Attitudes are changing in emerging economies like India and the UAE as entrepreneurship increases. Discussing failure can help reframe it as a normal part of learning and growth rather than something to be ashamed of. Teams are more likely to fail without clear direction, accountability, collaboration and learning from mistakes. Pre-mortems and considering worst-case scenarios can help organizations plan for and learn from
Failing Forward: Designing Intelligent Failure
- 7. HOW DIFFERENT CULTURES DEAL WITH FAILURE USA In the USA, where risk and entrepreneurship are admired, and winners reap big financial rewards, failure is seen as a mere bump in the road to success. It is common in job interviews to invite candidates to talk about their experiences with failure and how they overcame it. But failure can affect individuals based on personal and family experiences and backgrounds. Japan Yet in Japan, failing in a business venture can be fatal to a person’s professional reputation. An executive involved in a failed company may struggle to find another job. The chief executive of a failed enterprise is expected to apologize personally for letting people down. It would therefore be unwise to share stories of your business failures with Japanese colleagues in the hope of bonding over shared experiences. The most likely outcome would be a loss of face for you and great embarrassment for your colleagues. Germany In highly risk-averse cultures, for example, Germany, where the social fabric is held together by a series of rules and laws, and long-term security is prized, failure is seen as weak and inefficient. Great effort is taken to minimize its likelihood.
- 8. HOW DIFFERENT CULTURES DEAL WITH FAILURE Islamic Cultures Islamic cultures, very broadly speaking, are likely to be less tolerant of failure. In a world where personal contacts and relationships take precedence over business with strangers; where maintaining harmony and face are crucial; and where strict hierarchy, risk aversion and fatalism are commonplace, there is little room for experimentation and failure. The more conservative the culture, the less tolerance for failure. According to Arabian Business, the multicultural United Arab Emirates is a society increasingly open to encouraging entrepreneurs – which might suggest that attitudes towards failure are mellowing. India India, too, is fast emerging as a country of opportunists and entrepreneurs. India’s education system does not necessarily foster the lateral thinking, imagination and self-motivation required to be an entrepreneur and failure, historically, is seen as a disaster, even affecting an individual’s family name and marriage prospects. But according to Reuters, India’s technology boom, fueled by the availability of venture capital cash and a ‘Silicon Valley’ mentality, is dramatically changing attitudes to failure
- 12. What did we do well? What could we have done better? How could we sustain success? What should we do less of?
- 13. THE LITTLE-KNOWN JOURNAL OF FAILURE 1. What was your greatest personal/professional failure? 2. What are the biggest lessons you believe you learned from that failure? 3. What were the critical questions you asked after experiencing that failure? “If the question of when you last failed at something distresses or embarrasses you, that is a worrying sign. Failure means you have courage. It means you want to learn new things. It means you dared to take a risk. In truth, failure builds self-confidence far more powerfully than success.”
- 15. WHY WE FAIL • We define ourselves by outcomes • We were raised to focus on success • We’re not resilient enough • We don’t stay focused on our why? (burn the boats) • We only have part of the picture • We think we can set the future
- 16. When she was a child her father made it a habit to ask on a regular basis “what did you fail at this week?” When she replied, “nothing” he would retort, “Oh…that’s too bad.” My definition of failure became ‘not trying’, not the outcome. FORBES LIST OF BILLIONAIRES
- 18. The two things that will paralyze us creatively faster than any others: 1. We haven’t defined success. 2. We haven’t defined failure. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
- 19. 1. Failure is An Event And Events Can Change 2. The Experimenter 3. The Secret Of Success 4. Learning To Fail Better And Learning From The Process 5. Failure is Essential To Become The Person You Want To Become 6. Radical Creativity Involves Repeatedly Failing And Taking Missteps 7. True Transformation Through Failure 8. Unlocking the Mysteries and Lessons of Failure
- 21. TOP REASONS TEAMS FAIL • Lack of explanation: there needs to be an initial explanation of the business case for change and the purpose of working together in a new way. • Lack of envisioning: without a clear vision of what the future will look like there is nothing to go toward. • Lack of resources: without buy-in as to what will be needed to get to the vision of the future, people feel they are only going to have one oar to row the boat. • Lack of accountability: need for specific and structured way to make sure people say what they mean and do what they say. • Lack of planning: must have specific team action plans and deadlines that are possible to reach, even if they have to stretch. • Lack of encouragement: no procedures in place to close skill gaps and have extra training where needed. • Lack of conflict strategies: no agreed upon ways to handle conflict so it does not simmer and fester. • Lack of collaboration: ways to put diverse individuals together to find new solutions to old problems. • Lack of inclusion: everyone needs to know the big picture issues and have a way to participate in adding their point of view. • Lack of reinforcement: make sure that time is given for individuals to voice frustrations and concerns so they do not end up sabotaging by going behind closed doors.
- 22. The #1 Root Cause of Failure in Teams
- 24. Five Ways To Make Peace With Failure 1. Don't make it personal. Separate the failure from your identity. Just because you haven’t found a successful way of doing something (yet) doesn’t mean you are a failure. 2. Take stock, learn and adapt. Look at the failure analytically -- indeed, curiously -- suspending feelings of anger, frustration, blame or regret. 3. Stop dwelling on it. Obsessing over your failure will not change the outcome. In fact, it will only intensify the outcome, trapping you in an emotional doom-loop that disables you from moving on. 4. Release the need for approval of others. Often our fear of failure is rooted in our fear of being judged and losing others’ respect and esteem. 5. Try a new point of view. Our upbringing – as people and professionals – has given us an unhealthy attitude toward failure. One of the best things you can do is to shift your perspective and belief system away from the negative
- 25. HOW TO HELP YOUR TEAM BOUNCE BACK FROM FAILURE o First, take control of your own emotions o Give them space o Be clear about what went wrong (focus on facts) o But don’t point fingers (Speak to individuals in private-focus on what went wrong, but not their character) o Shift the mood o Tell a story o Encourage collaboration (learn from the failure/Look to the future)
- 27. Many venture capitalists won’t invest in a new enterprise if the founder has never undergone failure.
- 29. Principle 1: Decide what success and failure would look like before you launch an initiative.
- 30. Principle 2: Convert assumptions into knowledge.
- 31. Principle 3: Be quick about it—fail fast.
- 32. Principle 4: Contain the downside risk—fail cheaply.
- 33. Principle 5: Limit the uncertainty.
- 34. Principle 6: Build a culture that celebrates intelligent failure.
- 35. Principle 7: Codify and share what you learn.
- 36. How to Conduct A Pre-Mortem Here are the few steps to follow to conduct a successful pre-mortem. Prior to the meeting, invite the project team and brief them on the plan. Make sure you have a white board in the room and bring some pens and paper. Then, follow these few steps: WORST CASE SCENARIO 1. Imagine the worst: Start the meeting by exposing that the project at hand has been a complete disaster. 2. Generate Reasons for Failure: Ask each person to write down all the reasons they can think of to explain the failure that occurred. 3. Share Reasons for Failure: Ask each person to share one item on their list and continue to go around the room until everyone has exhausted their lists. Record all reasons on a white board. 4. Prioritize the top 3-4 concerns: Tell each team member that they have 2 minutes and 4 votes, and ask each of them—working independently—to select their top 5 concerns. Once they have completed this, identify the concerns with the most votes and list them on a separate piece of paper/board. 5. Brainstorm with solutions: Discuss solutions to prevent this from happening.
- 37. How to Conduct A Pre-Mortem BEST CASE SCENARIO Imagine the most successful outcome: Start the meeting by exposing that the project at hand has been a complete success. Generate Reasons for the success: Ask each person to write down all the reasons they can think of to explain the success that occurred. Share Reasons for Success: Ask each person to share one item on their list and continue to go around the room until everyone has exhausted their lists. Record all reasons on a white board. Prioritize the top 3-4 reasons for success: Tell each team member that they have 2 minutes and 4 votes, and ask each of them—working independently—to select their top 5 factors or reasons that contributed to the success of the plan. Once they have completed this, identify the ideas with the most votes and list them on a separate piece of paper/board. Brainstorm with solutions: Discuss solutions that would help make this scenario come true. Review the list: After the session, review the list and look for ways to strengthen the plan.
- 38. FEAR SETTING -By Tim Ferriss, author of “The Four-Hour Work Week” What if I….? -DEFINE -PREVENT -REPAIR 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
- 39. WHAT MIGHT BE THE BENEFITS OF AN ATTEMPT OR PARTIAL SUCCESS? 1_______________________________________________ 2_______________________________________________ 3________________________________________________
- 40. COSTS OF INACTION (EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY, FINANCIALLY ETC…) 6 MONTHS 1 YEAR 3 YEARS
- 41. THE TENTH MAN