Failure IS an Option!

So many times we think that if we fail we are no good, have let someone down, or maybe don't deserve something we want. A job, a task, a relationship, or a personal goal...failure seems to always seem so feared that sometimes we don't even take the chance to be successful.

I meet with each new person who is hired into the team. It is a good way for me to get to know the people who are working towards the success of the department and company. As "the Boss Lady" I could easily not care and not take the time, but it is important. Important to me. Here's why.

I am not someone who believes that failure is NOT an option. I have worked with companies that actually have this as their tagline "Failure is NOT Acceptable" or "Failure is NOT our business". Well of course failure is not our business, but it should be accepted if not celebrated.

So, back to my comment about meeting the new folks. When you start a new job what are the fears that come with it? I hope they like me, I hope I can do the job, I hope I don't screw up on the first day...the list of hopes (fears) is long!

My job as a positive and purposeful leader is to make sure I give a direction to the department and people within the department that is honest, thoughtful, and meaningful. I usually start of the conversation with light chit chat to get to know them - where they are from, what do they like to do outside of work...questions that will give me insight into who they are so the next time I see them at the coffee station I have a name, face, and bit of interest to chat about.

Once we get through the 10 minute getting to know you part I let them know my belief statement "Failure IS an Option and it will be celebrated"! Usually I get the deer in the headlights look, like really? Then I explain.

You see failure means you tried, you explored, you went outside of a box, you created, you tried to make a difference, or you attempted to do something remarkable. Whoa! This is about the time that the deer in teh headlights look turns to a head nod and smile. You see people get it! They get excited and engaged in the fact that their leader "The Boss Lady" get its!

If we never fail, we never work through adversity. If we never fail, we never see how far we can push ourselves. If we never fail, we become stagnent in our own thoughts. Failure IS an Option and most of the time a very worthwhile option.

I doubt any of us are going to destroy the world by failing so really what is the fear? What if we all thought of failure as a viable option like success? What if we thought of failure as a true chance of growing, learning, and understanding? What if one failure leads to great successes from what we learned? Isn't that what life is about? Isn't that positive and purposeful Living?

Go forth and be okay with Failure! Failure IS an Option!