The Upside of Failure: Be Willing To Stumble To Retain Your Edge
“Be innovative—just don’t fail.”
Those are the marching orders executives love to hand out to their project managers. But can a team take risks and try new things while steering clear of even the slightest whiff of disappointment?
The answer is no. Failure is a part of the process. If a company is trying something that’s never been done before, chances are pretty good it will crash and burn every now and then.
“Failure is a necessary evil of innovation,” says Jerry Manas, PMP, senior writer and editor at Planview, a portfolio management software organization in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, USA.
“For every Gmail, there are Gnotes and Google Buzz. Those were considered failures,” says Mr. Manas, author of Napoleon on Project Management: Timeless Lessons in Planning, Execution, and Leadership [Thomas Nelson, 2006].
The best way to transform a bleeding-edge concept into a viable business strategy that lets a company stake its spot as a true leader is to acknowledge that not everything will pan out.
And the push to innovation can’t come to a screeching halt when a company dreams up a game-changing product or service. Too many organizations launch revolutionary projects and then shun risk once they make their mark. Yet in the process, they sacrifice their leadership position. “More adventurous…
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"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain |
