Build a Positive Culture of Failure

Let's keep talking about failure!

In my last post, I discussed the inevitability and value of failure. If there is a positive culture around failure, your team will feel more comfortable extending their capabilities.

In this post, I want to discuss how we fail at failure or what a negative culture of failure can look like.

I once received a zero on the first paper I wrote for a new professor in college. The returned paper had no marks other than a zero at the top.

Ok. This is where the panic kicked in.

I failed. That was something I could live with. However, I was provided no path to success. Not only was I provided no feedback on why I failed, I would now have to use another graded paper to figure that out. I was being set up to fail again.

After a heated negotiation, the Professor took another look, provided specific feedback, and updated my grade to a 56. He provided me a path to success. I then knew what he was looking for in his papers and ended up with an A- in his class.

Here are some key takeaways from that story:

• Failure without learning is doomed to repeat itself

• 10-15 minutes of his time at the beginning drastically changed the trajectory of my success (an important understanding for any leader)

• A path to success wasn't provided. I had to seek it out (and fight for it)

As a thought exercise, I encourage you to think of the students fresh out of college, those making the blue-collar to white-collar transition, and those whose industries are not hiring and are having to apply to new industries. Those who do not have the established networks that can help get them hired to new positions. Think of the negative failure feedback loops they are in because they have no one to help nudge them out of failure.

As a leader, consider how we can all help build a positive culture of failure and how we can help set our teams onto the path of success.

Originally posted as a LinkedIn post at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentmcdowell/ in November 2023.