AreYouSquandering YourIntelligent Failures?
ThoughtSparks
Justbackfromanamazingweekspentwiththinkers,do-ersandexecutives consideringcultureatNovartis.AmyEdmondson,mydearfriend,wasthere andbothofusremainstunnedthatpeoplearestillconfusedaboutfailure, afterwehavespentliterallydecadeswritingaboutit.Fortherecord–there areintelligentfailures,stupidfailuresandcomplexsystemsfailures,allof whichhavedifferentimplications.
RitaMcGrath ThoughSparksIshouldmention–we’renotdinosaurs,eventhoughthereisoneinthebackground!
Intelligentfailures–Here’s whatIwroteinHarv BusinessReviewin–ahem–2010!
Despitewidespreadrecognitionthatcha timesplaceunpredictabledemandsonp businesses,Istillrunacrossmanymanag wouldprefertoavoidthelogicalconclusi stemsfromthis:failureisalotmorecom highlyuncertainenvironmentsthanitisin understoodsituations.Insteadoflearning failures,manyexecutivesseektokeepth ortopretendthattheywereallpartofa andnobigdeal.Tothoseexecutives,letmeargue thatanextraordinarilyvaluablecorporateresourceis beingwastediflearningfromfailuresisinhibited.
Andyet,eveninorganizationsthataredetermined toembracelearningunderuncertainty,fearof failurepersists. Perhaps,andI’mhopeful,Amy’sforthcomingnew bookRightKindofWrongwillhelppeoplein organizationsfigurethisout. Let’sreviewitonemoretime.
Ingenuinelyuncertainconditions,theonlywayto learnisbytryingthingsout.Thatmeanshavinga hypothesisaboutwhatcouldhappen,undergoing anexperiencethatteststhathypothesisandthen findingoutwhetherthehypothesiswassupported, ornot.AsI’vesaidforalongtime,failing(asin tryingsomethingoutthatdidn’tworkouttheway you’dhoped)istheonlywaytolearningenuinely uncertainenvironments.It’swhatSimSitkincalled “intelligentfailures”andisindeedaclassoffailure thatAmytalksaboutinherbook.
Butwe’restill hearingabout howfearof failureis depriving organizations ofvaluable learning
o,ahelpfulwayof hinkingabout ailure?
optheblamegame.Design perimentsthatreflectreallife.Stop posingtheexpectationofmeeting ansonpeopledoingthingsin predictableenvironments.Recognize atfailuremaybeneedstoberefined.
Wanttosparksomethinkinginyour ownorganization?
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