Learning From Failures

Hello Doctor e here. Want to take a minute to talk to you about learning from failure. Most of us, if we are honest, think that failure is bad. And while that's true, there also are many opportunities that we can learn from failures. Obviously, accomplishing goals, accomplishing tasks, reaching the mark is very joyous and something to be celebrated and really makes us all feel good about what we're doing. But sometimes we do miss the mark. Sometimes we don't necessarily hit the ball out of the park.

How can we embrace those opportunities as learning moments? Just as well? And I have to be quite honest, the first step in doing that is really rationalizing and accepting the fact that failures are going to happen. We aren't perfect. We aren't always going to hit the mark. And so looking at that from a realistic point of view and saying and accepting that failures will occur is a great first step. Now, learning from failures is as simple as ABC. First, avoid the blame game. Don't point fingers.

Don't condemn. Understand it, and approach it as a reality that we all have to wrestle and deal with and address together. Do not target a person. Do not target a specific decision. Do not single out one step that was missed while others may have been absolutely correct. So avoid the blame game that builds camaraderie. It establishes credibility as a leader. And it also allows you to get to the second piece, which is to build a learning culture. How can we promote learning from any and everything that we do?

Mistakes, great things, bad things, good things. So once you build that learning culture, you have to understand that everything, each and everything, is a learning opportunity. And then that last piece is creating space for interaction and engagement. What does it look like for folks to actually wrestle with ideas and thoughts, to really engage one another, to really unpack and critique, not necessarily to tear down, but to fundamentally understand what's at the core of arguments and beliefs and possible steps.

So if you remember that failures will happen and you accept that, then learning from failures is as simple as ABC. Avoid the blame game. Build a learning culture and create spaces for interaction and engagement. I'm Doctor E and I'll see you really soon.