It’s time to rethink failure and redefine success. Having a conversation about failure — what it is, what it looks like, how to rock learning from failure — increases openness and communication, resulting in more innovative projects, risk-taking, and disruptive ideas.
Here are some ways and tips to facilitating this conversation!
A little excerpt from the script! The script is there for you to adapt and build on, and it’s paired with sample questions, topics, tips, and things to watch out for (as well as how to handle them.)
Failure stories. I’ll start. Since this is a safe space, let’s keep a couple things in mind. Share if you feel comfortable. If it’s about the past, try bringing out the humor in it — there’s no better way to let go than to laugh.
Let the team know what you want after you speak —
a listen, nod, and thank you;
b notes about what they learned or that they’ve had a similar experience;
c feedback and advice from their perspective.
Notice if you are angry, blaming others, complaining etc, and just let us know in advance — “I’m angry and a lot of what I say will sound like complaints.”