“We are judged not by what happens to us – but by how we respond,” right?

I’ve been a part of failed projects; I know how much it humiliates and hurts. What I’ve noticed is there’s an 80/20 split between teams regarding how they respond when things go sour. The 80% I’ve seen do a failure analysis, figuring out what went wrong. This was my default position too, a habitual post-failure practice. No one taught me this; it was instinctual. Maybe it’s culture or society. Maybe it was just me.

It’s commonplace to have a “what went wrong” discussion — but it just reinforces error patterns. Is that what I want?

One-eighty

Then on one project I was on – after we really botched it – the team talked about what went right. It wasn’t jarring, in fact, I didn’t even notice it really. But later that night in my hotel room, I felt good, energized even. Comparing how I normally felt when projects fail, I instantly picked up on the difference. We analyzed what went right, and that left us with a list of strengths to double down on for the next iteration. Brilliant.

I intentionally deployed this tactic at the next opportunity, and it left me feeling good again. Now this is the song I sing all the time. When sh** goes south, double down on what works. Focus on and identify strengths — including who was responsible for what went right.

Not denial but right vision

Success is built on a collection of failures — but it doesn’t drown in failure. I like the method of trial-error-selection-variation which tries new things then tries more of what works. It’s awesome how this method works in the scientific process and also in team processes.

None of this means I’m blind to mistakes. It’s almost like a philosophy about how to address any problem in life. Leave behind the bad, triple down on the good, improve and move on.

What should you do?

Different companies handle this based on their culture. It might not be clear exactly what to do and this can be tricky. The people at the top in life are always working, growing and improving with the help of others. It’s how you got to where you are, and it’s how you will get up through the next stage on your journey.

I have experience that you can leverage. If you don’t use me, use someone else. The point is for you to get what is on your mind resolved immediately, don’t wait. Set an appointment with me and tell me about your situation so I can help. Click this link to reach out. Something else on your mind? Whatever you need, I’m here. Life is meant to be done together, just reach out.

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