This post is Post 3 in a series of four about Integrity, the quality I consider to be “the currency of a great leader.” The next post in this series will come next week. Click here to go to the previous post in this series.
The executive resume, where the “accomplishments are overblown and the failures are omitted”. Not true for everyone yet more reality than fiction. Our culture is so focused on posting results and looking good that we fail to realize the value in good old fashion failure. I recently read the book titled Start-Up Nationby Dan Senor & Saul Singer where the culture of the Israel is discussed in detail. One aspect of particularnote is in the Israel Air Force where failure is not seen as career limiting, but more acceptable “providedthey are used as opportunities to improve individual and group performance”. Specifically the individual who has experienced failure is expected to share those learning’s with others, because “If you screw up,your job is to show the lessons you’ve learned. No one learns from someone who is being defensive”.
Wow, is that different from the American corporate culture. Mistakes are buried and if exposed are “spun” to sound like nothing really happened. In healthcare a clinical mistake was intentionally kept from the patient or family member and the individual who was responsible for the mistake was sworn to secrecy. The opportunity to learn was lost along with the discharge or burial of the patient. Fortunately the culture of healthcare is changing where poor clinical outcomes are identified, examined, and the findings shared with others.
Here are four suggestions on how to learn from our professional failures:
1. Volunteer - I suggest you look for challenging career opportunities that will stretch your skills and significantly enhance your learning. When challenging work situations develop many will run the otherway in fear of failing. I believe the more challenging the situation the better and I look for individuals who have taken the “leap of faith” and volunteered for such challenging experiences.
2. 50 Percent Rule - Once you have found yourself in a challenging work situation ask a great deal of questions to make sure you fully understand the issue or problem at hand. This is a perfect place to use the 50 percent rule, where 50 percent of the time is spent on understanding the issue or problem and the other 50 percent of the time is spent on find the right solution. Too often leaders will spend little amount of time on understanding the issue or problem and most of the time on finding a solution. If you do not fully understand the problem how can you find the right solution?
3. Share the Results - No matter what the outcome, your job is to share what you learned with others. Granted it is easier to share positive outcomes, but I actually believe we learn more from our failings and others will learn more if you share those experiences.
4. Part of Your Resume - Now this maybe the most difficult part of all but I believe we should include experiences that did not work out as expected on our resumes. And by adding such experiences to our resumes we will need to be prepared to discuss these negative experiences objectively and share what was learned. Again a quote from the book Start Up Nation “It is okay to try and fail. Success is best, but failure is not a stigma; it is an important experience for your résumé”. Sure recruiters and potential employers may be surprised by your candor but your willingness to be honest just might separate you from the other 100 candidates for the same position.
I am interested in your feedback on the topic of Looking for Failure, so please email me your thoughts.
I cannot tell you how true that statement is especially with the more experience I develop in working with executives who have had some career “challenges”.