Try to Fail -- the Right Way
What if you were my employee and I gave you this task:
"I want you to do X (Insert difficult project here). You'll struggle with this task, and you probably have a 50 percent or higher chance of failing."
You might think I'm setting you up to fail. And you would be partially right. What I'm really doing is setting you up to succeed -- in the long run.
The idea is this: Many of us develop in our careers by trying very hard to accomplish something outside our usual course of events. No pain, no gain. The really smart ones among us seek out failure as an opportunity to improve.
Listen to Peter Bregman on his Harvard Business Publishing blog post Why You Need to Fail.
Every time I ask a room of executives to list the top five moments their career took a leap forward -- not just a step, but a leap -- failure is always on the list. For some it was the loss of a job. For others it was a project gone bad. And for others still it was the failure of a larger system, like an economic downturn, that required them to step up.Problem is, we are conditioned to avoid failure at all costs. We play it safe. We operate within boundaries where success is most assured. This is a "fixed mindset," he says, the belief that talent is something you are born with, not something that can be changed.
But people who believe their abilities expand with persistence and effort, a "growth mindset," seek out failure as an opportunity to improve.
Read his post for interesting insights into ways to challenge yourself. Here's one:
"Want to increase your own performance? Set high goals where you have a 50-70% chance of success. According to Psychologist and Harvard researcher the late David McClelland, that's the sweet spot for high achievers. Then, when you fail half the time, figure out what you should do differently and try again."My add: When you are embracing growth-through-failure, make sure your boss is on the same wavelength. Could be problematic at review time if she sees failing as, well, failing.
Related Reading:
Feel like you're mired in your job, unable to move forward in any meaningful way? Read Feeling Stuck? Getting Past Impasse by Harvard Business School's Tim Butler. This HBS Working Knowledge interview will help you understand those feelings and, more importantly, develop ways to get your wheels spinning again.
(Rocket image by Erik Charlton, CC 2.0)