We have heard that the dramatically successful organizations embrace rather than fear failure. They see failure as really quite a good thing. And so failing early, often, and forward has become part of the accepted wisdom of work.
But what if we aren’t allowed to fail? What if failure brings embarrassment, loss of stature, or loss of bonus? Or possibly loss of job? Maybe it means that there is something broken within us. Maybe we’re not supposed to take risks. Then failure is really a bad thing.
The sad thing is that, despite all the effort to avoid failing, organizations that can’t fail well and fast end up failing poorly, slowly, and often finally.
In your corner,
Mike