Mistakes are Learning
In my last post I shared the importance of being a “Learn it all” rather than a “Know it all.”.
When it comes to learning at work, one of the things we tend to forget or underplay is that learning doesn't happen without making mistakes.
Think about this.
There is nothing you are good at today that you didn't get good at by making mistakes.
This applies to every learning journey. You don't make progress without making mistakes. The critical thing is to learn from those mistakes as quickly as possible and then correct course.
Also vital to appreciate in changing times, is that leaders of organisations must make mistake making safe.
The best way to do this is to make the change agenda clear, and relevant to all people in the organisation.
People need to know where trying new things is wanted and needed, and where mistakes in finding the way will be seen and accepted as part of the learning process.
Einstein said; “anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”.
Changing times demand a different mindset to the conditioning we experienced growing up that changed us from curious young children to adults who feared failure.
Think of any young child in your life in their early years, and you can define their lives as trying, failing and learning.
So, if you are looking to do new things in the face of change, you must embrace the inevitability of failure, from which learning and ultimately success evolve.