“Fail fast.” You’ve heard it before, and it’s good advice. When doing something new, push hard to try it quickly so you can rapidly determine if it’s not working and shut it down. Failing fast means learning fast so you can be more successful with the next idea.
Typically this advice is applied to strategic endeavours; big plays that move in bold new directions. But what about the everyday banal tasks? I bet you could identify ten things that you do the same way every day without thinking. Sometimes that’s for good reason (keep sanitizing!!). But momentum and habit have downsides. We don’t stop to think that there might be a better way. We get comfortable…and then we get left behind.
For years I’ve been coaching executives and leaders that every human is good at change. Fundamentally built for it. Our brains home in on change, not just to fight or flee, but to take advantage and capitalize. We must kill the myth that “change is hard” and “people don’t like change.” Just look around and you will find hundreds of examples of people adapting and shifting to accommodate new circumstances, taking hold of new opportunities, and thriving. YOU are good at change!
Not every change goes smoothly. We make mistakes. We fail. And in so doing we also learn. So, don’t just fail fast when applying strategy. Plan to fail every day by doing something different. By anticipating some level of failure, we build up our psychological resilience.
So shake it up. As Jillian Michaels said, “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough.”
Thoughtfully yours,
Jeff Skipper
