1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something we are doing at PCI in our quest to earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Our theme at PCI for 2022 is New Frontiers. Last year, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our founding. This year we are embarking on our next 100 years. Dream big. Play hard. That’s our mantra.
Playing hard involves being innovative and finding new ways of providing value to our clients.
It also requires us to be willing to fail.
Because when we try something new, how often do we get it absolutely right the first time? Rarely. Perhaps never.
If we want to succeed, we must expect challenges and setbacks. That’s why the great innovators talk so much about persistence and not giving up.
“Sometimes, when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” -Steve Jobs.
“Failure is success in progress.” -Albert Einstein.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” -Thomas Edison.
To do anything new, creative, or innovative involves taking risks. That’s the reality. We are wise to expect mistakes during the creative process. Only by risking making a mistake will we discover anything new. If we want to impact humanity in a big way, we must learn and TRY again.
One of the initiatives I led last year at PCI was our Running is Life experiment. Rather than market to a list of members of organizations or universities, we wanted to find out if we could use digital media and social media to go directly to runners to capture their stories.
It didn’t work. It failed. I failed.
Why did I share this story with my 450 colleagues during our 2022 kickoff? Why write about it now? My goal is to take the stigma out of failure. To de-personalize it. To recognize that setbacks are part of the creative process.
If the CEO of our company can talk about failure, I hope that our associates will, too. I want them to be creative, to “push the envelope,” to try new things to serve our clients better.
Fall down seven times, stand up eight.
_________________________
Reflection: What have I failed at recently? What did I learn?
Action: Journal about it.
What did you think of this post?
