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Failing Forward

Failing Forward

by on January 6, 2012 in Uncategorized

The title of this post happens to be the title of one of my favorite business books as well.

In my opinion, January is the perfect time to talk about failing forward, simply because so many of us have set ourselves up to fail by making all sorts of resolutions. The problem usually isn’t that we resolve to do something, but rather that we resolve to do something (or many things) that simply aren’t realistic. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t lessons to be learned from our failures.

I make mistakes all of the time, and at WriterGirl, we have a culture that allows for that. Our goal is to never make the same mistake twice, and we rarely do. That’s because we work hard to learn from our mistakes, to use those mistakes to propel us forward toward ever-more-challenging goals. A perfect example of this was a recent situation where we didn’t win a project. Instead of beating ourselves up or looking at it as a failure, we chose to use this experience as a catalyst for taking a step back and looking at ourselves and our company from the outside in. This exercise resulted in some great, innovative thinking, and it really got our creative juices flowing. So instead of feeling dejected about a missed opportunity, we’re excited about what the future holds.

That’s what I call failing forward, and it’s my hope that you all fail spectacularly in this manner in the coming year. Happy 2012!

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Integrity

by on February 28, 2011 in Integrity

In business, and in life, we are continuously presented with choices. We usually know what the right choice is, but that doesn’t keep us from being tempted by other options. Those options, or gray-areas, get us off track because they can seem like the easier or more lucrative way. Whenever I’m faced with one of those gray-area choices, I remind myself that integrity is not always the easiest choice at the time, but it’s the choice that makes it easiest to live with myself.

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With the Right Chemistry, It’s Hard Not to be Inspired

by on February 26, 2011 in Relationships

In an interview with GQ, Isaac Stone professed that what he looks for in a colleague is a sense of humor. Who is Isaac Stone? Just one of the co-founders of Twitter.

It seems so simple, when you think about it. But it wasn’t until I read Isaac’s words that I realized the reason why I love working for WriterGirl. Sit in on a weekly team meeting and you’ll think, “what a hapless display of witless tomfoolery!” What you’ll sense, though, is a deep respect and camaraderie between team members; each individual bringing a unique perspective to the table. Somehow it just works. Perhaps that’s what is meant by chemistry.

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Tailored Communication

by on February 21, 2011 in Communication

Everyone communicates differently – that even goes for clients. The key to successful client communication is to figure out how each of your clients likes to communicate and do it their way, not yours. Are they generally available first thing in the morning by phone or would they rather talk via email? Are they more responsive during a face to face or do they respond to texts? Tailor your communication style to each client. Find a way to connect with them on their terms.

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Planning

by on February 13, 2011 in Change

A wise friend once told me, “Control is an illusion.” I think she’s right. We all want it. We all work hard to get it, but what are we really looking for? Order? Peace of mind? Security?

Planning goes hand-in-hand with our attempts to gain control. It seems, though, that plans are always changing. We alter our plans in a false attempt to get a better hold on the future.

Of course, there’s always the alternative…not planning at all. Yikes! The very thought of that sounds scary. I think I’ll stick with my illusion.

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Change.

by on February 4, 2011 in Change

The very word sounds exciting, a harbinger of interesting events.

We learn about new things by reacting with a negative or positive response. You removed your hand from the fire. You enjoyed a pat on the back for sharing toys. Then, as human beings, we take a defining leap. We fail. It hurts. We try again and discover we have wings. Amazing.

Discomfort is a necessary component of evolution. As a PMP, I read a lot on change management. It goes deeper than work life. It’s whether you’ve chosen to challenge yourself. To me, a defining choice.

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Building trust.

by on January 20, 2011 in Relationships

Whether you’re trying to build trust with customers, clients, or coworkers, compassion is key. That word sounds soft, doesn’t it? Compassion. We’re not supposed to be concerned with compassion when it comes to business, right?

Wrong. Business, like all of life, is all about relationships. And good relationships don’t exist without compassion.

In The Seven Arts of Change, author David Shaner states, “For some reason, we’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that business, capitalism, and management are subjects for which the laws of compassion and interconnectedness do not apply. For some reason, under the façade of “it’s nothing personal; it’s just business,” we excuse behavior we would normally consider insensitive, careless, cruel, and even abusive.”

Why do we do this? Is it OK to lie to your coworkers but not to your family? Is it acceptable to undercut your peer, but not your spouse? Is it ever acceptable to do one thing and say another?

I don’t think so. If we’re interested in building trust, in working and living with people who have our backs – and we have theirs – then we have to be compassionate. We have to work to understand others’ positions, especially when they differ greatly from ours. This is not easy to do; it takes practice, and consistent attention. But the results are well worth it.

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