Failure is not an option, or is it?
I am sure you have heard of the phrase “Fail fast, learn fast”, It stems from the idea that iteratively failing fast helps us achieve desired outcomes faster than trying to find the perfect solution.
I am sure you have also heard about “Failing forward”, which means learning from your mistakes and achieving success out of any circumstances. I believe in both the ideas of “Failing fast” and “Failing forward” and have always encouraged people to take the same approach.
Couple of year ago though, when I was trying to argue with one of my colleagues why “Failing fast” is a good approach, he said to me sometime along the lines of “For what we are trying to do, Failure isn’t an option”. I brushed it off thinking he wasn’t getting my point. I still remember having had that argument.
Today, I acknowledge that he was right, and why “Failing fast” doesn’t mean you should think “Failure is an option”. If you are trying to do something, especially if it’s important, having the mindset of “Failure is not an option” will help you want to do everything in your power not to fail — Planning better, identifying risk mitigations, identifying options, focusing on root causes of the problem etc.
But, if you do fail:
- Learn from your failures — “Fail forward”
- Don’t blame yourself — you did everything in your control
- Blame the problem — not the people
- Get back up — Be positive, try something different, ask for help..