Failure, defined as an undesirable or unexpected situation or outcome, is always an option in this fast-paced, competition-driven world. As the psychiatrist Viktor Frankl stated, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
When we experience failure – failure being an undesirable, unexpected situation or outcome – stay positive, pay close attention to the situation and share your experiences without guilt, shame, fear or resentment.
Acknowledging failures and sharing our experiences is not a sign of weakness. It is a commitment to learning and development and moreover, an immense source of inner resilience. If we are genuinely striving for a safer future and a stronger safety culture, as we should be, let’s talk about failures openly and honestly – and learn from our mistakes.
The resource library link below contains Lessons Learned Documents that discuss incidents that have occurred that can help us to understand what went right as well as the lessons to be learned from situations where mistakes were made and/or things did not go according to plan.