FAILURE, THE ULTIMATE GIFT
What comes to mind when you hear the word failure? Is it a big red “F” on a school paper? Or is it a runner coming in last at the finish line? A phone call saying you didn’t get the job? Does the word “gift” come to mind? How about a big beautiful package with a bow?
In 2008, we received a call from a potential client. Let’s call her “Jill”. She
needed help filling multiple medical clerical positions. This was a great opportunity for our small office. I was pumped! We listened
to her needs, studied the job description, and toured her facility.
We looked through many candidates and submitted the ones that seemed to
be the best suited for the job. Our candidate was selected, and then shortly afterwards was fired. Ugh. We couldn’t figure out what we did
wrong. The client didn’t call back. Months passed. We wondered
what had happened and how we could have failed with a client with such great
potential.
After 6 months had gone by, I happened to interview a lady who used to work for that same clinic. Jill had been her supervisor! I took a deep breath, put my big-girl panties on, and called to check the reference and more importantly, to find out if we could get the business back. At the end of the call I asked Jill* if there were any positions we could help her fill. She said, “Alison, I need to be direct. I was very disappointed. You listened, you studied the job description, you visited the facility, but you didn’t send us the right kind of candidates. That’s why I haven’t called you.”
Wow. I felt so small. I knew this feedback was important, but it felt pretty awful to hear it. Somehow I came back with a pivotal question: “How about giving us another try?” Amazingly, Jill did give us another try. After success within her department, she referred us to another department. Then that department told Human Resources what a good job we were doing. Pretty soon we had a contract with the larger organization. We learned more and more about the company and their culture. Jill’s 2nd chance gave us one of the biggest accounts we have ever had, one we still work with to this day.
Failing in this instance was not the end. It was a moment for us to reassess, take in new information, and realize new strategies that would help us in the long run. The moment to start again was truly a gift that empowered us to move
towards a deeper relationship with the client and an opportunity to build trust
and respect.
Author and Pastor Craig Groeschel addressed the fear of failure
in his latest sermon series “Outlasters”. In the world of parenting,
letting your children make mistakes can be a tremendous gift.
Over-protecting our children and rescuing them too quickly
from mistakes is not helping them, but if fact doing them a disservice.
Just as a baby has to fall many times before she learns to walk, our
children need to try and fail to figure out how the world works.
Blogger and author Seth Godin describes failure as an
“opportunity to figure out how to bounce, not break.” He explains
that doing really well at something right off the bat is lucky.
Luck can’t be replicated, but practicing (and failing) leads to real
mastery. As Godin says, “It’s
important to learn that failing at the beginning, may just mean doing a lot
better later on.”
Author, researcher, and lecturer Brene’ Brown describes the Ted
Conference as a “Failure Conference”. Many inventors, writers, and individuals
at the top of their respective fields all come together to present and listen to
“Ted Talks”. One thing they have in common is the many times they’ve tried
again and again at businesses, ideas, inventions that didn’t work.
Even my 9 year old is learning about the benefits of failing. The other day I mentioned the importance of trying something even if you don’t know what the outcome will be. He gave me that “I know, I know, Mom look” and said: “If you can’t make a mistake, you can’t make anything.” He said it like he had
said it a million times! I had never heard this growing up. How wonderful for him to understand this at such a young age! I hope he is never afraid to try new ideas, go into a different direction, or risk not being perfect.
At TRC Staffing Services, we know that looking for a new job can feel very
risky. Trying something new may lead to a mistake or two, or it might be the best present you’ve ever received. If you're ready to make
a change, look for a new job, or just find one for the short-run, please
give us a call. We would love to help you with your journey towards your ideal position. 405-842-6300
Alison
What comes to mind when you hear the word failure? Is it a big red “F” on a school paper? Or is it a runner coming in last at the finish line? A phone call saying you didn’t get the job? Does the word “gift” come to mind? How about a big beautiful package with a bow?
In 2008, we received a call from a potential client. Let’s call her “Jill”. She
needed help filling multiple medical clerical positions. This was a great opportunity for our small office. I was pumped! We listened
to her needs, studied the job description, and toured her facility.
We looked through many candidates and submitted the ones that seemed to
be the best suited for the job. Our candidate was selected, and then shortly afterwards was fired. Ugh. We couldn’t figure out what we did
wrong. The client didn’t call back. Months passed. We wondered
what had happened and how we could have failed with a client with such great
potential.
After 6 months had gone by, I happened to interview a lady who used to work for that same clinic. Jill had been her supervisor! I took a deep breath, put my big-girl panties on, and called to check the reference and more importantly, to find out if we could get the business back. At the end of the call I asked Jill* if there were any positions we could help her fill. She said, “Alison, I need to be direct. I was very disappointed. You listened, you studied the job description, you visited the facility, but you didn’t send us the right kind of candidates. That’s why I haven’t called you.”
Wow. I felt so small. I knew this feedback was important, but it felt pretty awful to hear it. Somehow I came back with a pivotal question: “How about giving us another try?” Amazingly, Jill did give us another try. After success within her department, she referred us to another department. Then that department told Human Resources what a good job we were doing. Pretty soon we had a contract with the larger organization. We learned more and more about the company and their culture. Jill’s 2nd chance gave us one of the biggest accounts we have ever had, one we still work with to this day.
Failing in this instance was not the end. It was a moment for us to reassess, take in new information, and realize new strategies that would help us in the long run. The moment to start again was truly a gift that empowered us to move
towards a deeper relationship with the client and an opportunity to build trust
and respect.
Author and Pastor Craig Groeschel addressed the fear of failure
in his latest sermon series “Outlasters”. In the world of parenting,
letting your children make mistakes can be a tremendous gift.
Over-protecting our children and rescuing them too quickly
from mistakes is not helping them, but if fact doing them a disservice.
Just as a baby has to fall many times before she learns to walk, our
children need to try and fail to figure out how the world works.
Blogger and author Seth Godin describes failure as an
“opportunity to figure out how to bounce, not break.” He explains
that doing really well at something right off the bat is lucky.
Luck can’t be replicated, but practicing (and failing) leads to real
mastery. As Godin says, “It’s
important to learn that failing at the beginning, may just mean doing a lot
better later on.”
Author, researcher, and lecturer Brene’ Brown describes the Ted
Conference as a “Failure Conference”. Many inventors, writers, and individuals
at the top of their respective fields all come together to present and listen to
“Ted Talks”. One thing they have in common is the many times they’ve tried
again and again at businesses, ideas, inventions that didn’t work.
Even my 9 year old is learning about the benefits of failing. The other day I mentioned the importance of trying something even if you don’t know what the outcome will be. He gave me that “I know, I know, Mom look” and said: “If you can’t make a mistake, you can’t make anything.” He said it like he had
said it a million times! I had never heard this growing up. How wonderful for him to understand this at such a young age! I hope he is never afraid to try new ideas, go into a different direction, or risk not being perfect.
At TRC Staffing Services, we know that looking for a new job can feel very
risky. Trying something new may lead to a mistake or two, or it might be the best present you’ve ever received. If you're ready to make
a change, look for a new job, or just find one for the short-run, please
give us a call. We would love to help you with your journey towards your ideal position. 405-842-6300
Alison