Amy Edmondson discusses how to fail well by understanding good failure versus bad failure, using simple tools to prevent failures, and staying motivated. She explores psychological safety in teams, intelligent failures for growth, and personal growth through failure. Resources mentioned include 'The Checklist Manifesto' and 'The Road to Character.'
Embracing intelligent failure promotes growth and development by stepping out of comfort zones.
Reframing failures as opportunities for insight shifts demoralizing outlooks to proactive mindsets.
Cultivating a growth-oriented mindset involves recognizing different types of failures and learning from setbacks.
Deep dives
The Value of Intelligent Failure
Embracing intelligent failure is essential for growth and development. When everything goes perfectly, it indicates a lack of stretching beyond comfort zones. Amy Edmondson highlights the importance of choosing learning over knowing, as it involves an active decision to remain curious and open to new insights.
Recognizing and Leveraging Failures
Amy Edmondson shares her personal favorite failure during her PhD studies, where an unexpected result led her to groundbreaking research on team dynamics. By reframing failures as opportunities for insight and growth, individuals can shift from a demoralizing outlook to a proactive mindset for future successes.
Categorizing Failures
Failures can be classified into intelligent, basic, and complex categories. Intelligent failures involve pursuing new goals and learning from setbacks thoughtfully. Basic failures stem from single causes and are preventable, while complex failures result from multiple factors converging, requiring heightened vigilance and corrective actions.
Mitigating Emotional Reactions to Failure
Navigating emotional responses to failures is crucial for productive learning. Recognizing the space between stimulus and response allows individuals to choose resilience over reactionary thinking. By reframing setbacks as learning opportunities, individuals can cultivate a growth-oriented mindset for ongoing development.
Embracing Risk-Taking for Growth
Encouraging a culture of taking calculated risks fosters innovation and progress. Amy Edmondson advocates for welcoming failures in new territories as exemplary opportunities for valuable learning experiences. By actively choosing to learn from setbacks and maintaining curiosity, individuals can enhance their professional and personal growth.
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. Her work explores teaming – the dynamic forms of collaboration needed in environments characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity. She has also studied the role of psychological safety in teamwork and innovation. Before her academic career, she was Director of Research at Pecos River Learning Centers, where she worked with founder and CEO Larry Wilson to design change programs in large companies. In the early 1980s, she worked as Chief Engineer for architect/inventor Buckminster Fuller, and innovation in the built environment remains an area of enduring interest and passion.