Aesoph Group

By Christopher Aesoph, MA

     I led a change seminar for a remarkable team in Vancouver recently, and in the half-day session they delved into interesting discussions. In one debate, one team member asserted there is no such thing as failure. There is either success, or learning, and often there is both. According to this philosophy, as long as you’ve done your best to prepare and execute the plan, there is no failure. If something goes awry, you are sure to learn lessons that will prepare for a future success. Even if all you learn is never to do that again, this will leave room for new successes. Another team member felt strongly that failure does exist, and while she didn’t want to be paralyzed by the fear of it, still she uses the possibility of failure as a motivator to do her best work.

I intervened in the debate and underscored that whether one “believes” in failure or not is not so important. What is important is that we have some method that keeps us from becoming complacent, or downright lazy in our efforts, while also maintaining an attitude that leaves us open to taking on new and unfamiliar obstacles. If fear of failure motivates you to a higher performance, then by all means believe in it and use the deep respect you have for failure to move you forward. On the other hand, if fear of failure keeps you from trying new things, or from taking on challenges, then you should abolish it from your vocabulary and go with the “learning” perspective.

It was a fascinating and frank discussion that left the entire team more aware of the attitudes and beliefs that can either help or hinder their ability to achieve peak performances. Most of the time, average teams leave these topics untouched, and what motivates or de-motivates team members is a mystery. I was inspired by this team’s honesty, their ability to disagree passionately, and their ability to understand each other’s motivators without having to abandon their own beliefs. I wish I could say that most teams operate at this level.