Repeated failure is most peoples’ experience, especially in business. Some people claim the secret to business success is repeated attempts in the teeth of repeated failure. Sooner or later you will try something that works!
Complacency
However, this is no reason for complacency. There may be more you can do to find out where you are going wrong and taking steps to tackle it.
Think about your failures and try to discern if there is a pattern to them. You may be lacking some skill or knowledge. There are several ways you can address a problem like this. You may be able to train or pay someone to provide the skill.
Many self-employed people are excellent at implementing their offer but lack the skills they need to run their business. Failures may be a good learning environment, so long as you seek help and make sure you learn from them.
Organisational Culture
It is important to understand organisations develop a culture that is difficult to change. Even though the culture may negative, it becomes hard to change because everyone has invested in it.
So, if you are part of an organisation, consider the possibility you need to make deep changes if it is to be a viable player in the marketplace.
Patterns of Behaviour
Most of us practice patterns of behaviour we find difficult to change. If you use a common personality test such as Myers-Briggs or the Enneagram, you will find out more about your own strengths and weaknesses.
These tests are not determinative in the sense they are saying you cannot change your behaviour. What they do is show you how you work effectively. You can achieve anything you wish; what is important is how you set about it. A method that works for a different personality type, may not work for you.
Learning from Failure
Of course, it is important to learn from failure. You can’t avoid failure, it’s built into what you do. Use it as a learning opportunity.
Above all, ask how you can monetise your failures or the lessons you learn from them. Your prospects may struggle with similar issues and your experience could be helpful.
This is particularly true for recurring problems, deeply embedded in the behaviour of a person or organisation. Sometimes it takes time to understand the nature of a problem and how to approach it.
If you can hold a mirror to someone’s behaviour, help them to see a new way forward, then you are acting as a coach or consultant. This role is crucial to many businesses and may be a possibility for yours.
How have you managed repeated failure?
