The Benefit of Failure

One fails toward success - Charles F Kettering

Whenever you say the world 'failure', people hold their breath. Who wants to admit failure?  

What I hear about failure most often is....

• Failure is why people get fired - right? 
• Competency by definition does not allow for failure?
• If I admit failure, people will think I am stupid?

Why do a blog about failure. Here are some of my thoughts that I have tried to express when I am mentoring team members.

1. If you are trying, you will sooner or later fail. It is only those who don't try that may avoid failure, but then again, they don't experience success either. 
2. We learn FAR more from failure than we ever learn from success. Success breeds compliancy.
3. Failure is a positive experience when a good post-mortem is done. Post Mortem Blog

It then comes down to attitude. We all fail, we all should improve. Some examples:

• You have lost your job - what could I have done to be more "all in". All in Blog 
• The project wasn't done on time - what could I have done to remove workflow pinch points.
• Sales goals are not being met - am I touching my customers like I should, or am I hoping the sales come to me.  "My phone didn't ring today".

Continuous improvement is the name of game, and you only improve when you feel the need.

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech 

Get it. Know it. Use it.

This post was originally published on David’s blog Connecting the [Data]… 

Intuition - The Inner Voice

That inner voice is intuition. 

I am not a superstitious person, and intuition is not voodoo magic or other mystical notions.

Intuition is the accumulation of past decisions and past learning, that is integrated into our 'brain' experience. So the question is how to harness/access that experience?
LISTENING TO THAT INNER VOICE

1.  Start doing good post-mortem on your past decisions (good and bad decisions). See my blog -

http://connectingthedata.blogspot.com/2013/09/making-new-mistakes-grow.html

2.  Listen to your inner voice. What is it trying to say that is not emotionally based?
3.  If all you are hearing is emotion - give it some time.
4.  Focus on long-term answers, not short term "I will show them" vengeance.
5.  As with all good decision making, understand what the next step should be, as well as where you want the conclusion to end up.

All this may seem like common sense, then why do we struggle with execution of the best practices above? Because we get caught up in the moment. We forget the key statement…..

What do we do after we make that emotional decision. 

In a previous job, I was asked to dismiss, without notice, a General Contractor working on a project. My question was "okay, what do we do with the project after I fire this guy?" The VP of Real Estate didn't have an answer, just felt that "something has to be done".

The lack of critical thinking, and understanding the long-term consequences of the 'emotional' decision, is a cancer upon leadership ability. 

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech


Get it. Know it. Use it.