Failing Forward with Tech Mistakes
I had a horrible week of tech issues earlier this month. Between links not working and internet connection issues, I ended the week with a sense of embarrassment rather than a sense of fulfillment. And I was mad at myself. I had booked too much in my schedule without allowing time to test new technology or give myself a few minutes between meetings. Have you ever been there?
This has been the year of working virtually, and we’ve all been on a fast, uphill learning curve with work home practices and technology. How many of us could work Zoom before February? How many of us assumed that working virtually was easier? And how many of us thought that virtual teaming could not be effective? 2020 is the year of blowing up assumptions and learning by doing.
I first heard the term “failing forward” from leadership author John Maxwell. He described failing forward as making a conscious choice to learn and be better after making a mistake. And we ALL make mistakes. So, I’ve been curious how to “fail forward” with my crappy tech week. Here’s what I’m finding:
1. Apologize in the moment. A simple “I’m sorry” will suffice. Sometimes we can be so embarrassed and/or frustrated that we make a bigger deal than necessary about mistakes. I have found that people are pretty forgiving about tech issues, especially these days.
2. Don’t beat yourself up. Our inner voices can be our worst and meanest critics. While it is okay to feel your feelings, letting your inner voice verbally abuse you is not healthy. Take a moment to breath after the mistake. Share the situation with a friend. It will all be okay.
3. Reflect on what happened. While you do not want to beat yourself up for days about it, you can take some time to review the events and reflect about how things could have gone differently. For instance, I knew that part of my issues was a lack of preparation on my part.
4. Keep it simple. We are surrounded by so many amazing capabilities for online collaboration. This doesn’t mean that we have to use all of them. You may want to build your skills in using one for now and adding more in the future. Learning Miro is kicking my butt these days, so I am just working on that learning curve for now.
5. Test the product. A reason for one of my failures was a lack of testing a new product. I thought that just sharing the link would work; however, I need attendees to sign into the system before the link worked. Ugh. Earlier in the day, I had thought about testing the product with my teenager, but I simply forgot. Lesson learned.
6. Exercise a sense of humor. In the grand scheme of things, the world probably won’t end because of your mistake. The pride wound may take time to heal, but eventually you will find humor in the story. Even if you don’t, find a good laugh to help your soul in the healing process.
I have found that extraordinary work requires extraordinary self-care, and sometimes this involves healing from embarrassment and mistakes. Senator Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” May you fail with grace and patience sometime soon.
Unsplash Picture by Seth Doyle