Reinhold Messner reached the highest summit in the world as the first person without bottled oxygen and solo.
But before that, he had failed three times in attempting to climb Nanga Parbat. The extreme mountaineer says, "We almost only learn through failure. We humans are wired in such a way that we only learn when we get a setback." Therefore, failure is a necessary part of our learning and experience process, so to speak, the basis of personal development. Every top athlete learns early on that defeats are part of the game and it is important to process them quickly and effectively. However, in business, we sometimes lack the ability to view failure as a learning opportunity. Yet, mistakes and setbacks are the real engine of progress: they show us where we stand and what needs to be improved or changed. There are countless examples in history where errors have made great discoveries possible.
"The greatest mistake is the fear of making a mistake."
Mistakes happen everywhere and to everyone. How do you react to mistakes made by employees? Do you allow yourself to make mistakes? Do you bounce back after defeats, or do you give up? Or do you want to know even more after a setback? Handling mistakes and setbacks with composure is not something we are born with, but it is part of good self-management to master it. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Axel Springer SE, Guiseppe Vita, says, "The greatest mistake is the fear of making a mistake." Because where does this fear lead? To counterproductive avoidance behavior, to a lack of capitalizing on opportunities, to stagnation.
Don't give in to self-sabotage!
If we beat ourselves and others up after a defeat, devalue ourselves (and others), we sabotage ourselves. Resignation, demotivation, fear, and stress take over. This blocks us, our team, and is likely to lead to further poor performance - a downward spiral of self-sabotage. What helps instead of the destructive search for blame and culprits? The constructive analysis of the causes of mistakes:
The Triple A Principle
A as in Accept: Accept that your performance and/or that of your team was not optimal. It is not helpful to turn an unsuccessful strategy into an "unfortunate turn" or to blame others for the failure. Former national goalkeeper Oliver Kahn says, "Mental strength is to say afterwards: Suffered a fatal defeat - but I have learned from it and will do better next time." Once you accept a mistake, you take away its negative impact.
A as in Analyze: Take enough time before the analysis to reduce negative stress feelings, e.g., through exercise, listening to music, conversations with trusted individuals, etc. Otherwise, your mind will not be clear for a thorough analysis. The analysis should preferably be done in writing and should not focus solely on weaknesses and deficiencies:
- What were the factors contributing to the failure?
- What went well and what was missing?
- What can I/we learn from this?
- What can be done better or changed?
A as in Abandon: Draw a line under the failure. It cannot be undone. Instead of looking back, focus on your current actions. Further brooding and regret will only unnecessarily block you. Especially when facing further challenges for you or your team, it is extremely important to process suffered defeats quickly - every athlete in competition knows this. A healthy ability to distance oneself is a prerequisite for the necessary recovery and preparation for the next mission. This also applies in professional life!
Appreciation instead of belittlement
Not everything and everyone must have been bad during the occurrence of failure. Establish a positive closing ritual for your team - despite the defeat. Let the team choose a colleague whose performance stood out extremely positively. Usually, your employees have a fine sense of who really delivered a good performance that day. This employee can then receive a symbolic laurel wreath or similar, as well as the opportunity for a brief closing statement. With this ritual, you show appreciation. This helps especially after setbacks, more than overly general criticism that further reinforces the sense of fallibility among your employees.
Looking forward instead of dwelling on the past
Those who mentally dwell on their mistakes turn them into a disruptive force. This prevents focusing on current tasks. Encourage yourself and your employees before new challenging situations and develop solution strategies for possible emerging problems: Ask yourself questions like
- What could I/we do to handle this situation better this time?
In theory, different solution approaches and their consequences can be played out to finally decide on an appropriate action strategy. If you have prepared in this way, self-doubt about the previous mistake will no longer bother you.
Get up, straighten your crown, and move on!
Don't be afraid of failure! Oliver Kahn, who wrote the foreword for my new book "Sport Mental Training" and provides deep insights into his self-management there, puts it in a nutshell: "Some defeats must be experienced in order to say: Now I will try to derive maximum benefit from them."
References:
Heimsoeth, A. (2015) Sport Mental Training. pietsch, Stuttgart, pp. 170-183
Heimsoeth, A. (2015) Chefsache Kopf. With mental and emotional strength to more leadership competence. Springer Gabler
© Antje Heimsoeth
ISBN: 978-3-613-50803-3
EUR 24.90
208 pages
Antje Heimsoeth, expert in self-leadership, mental strength, and motivation, Dipl. Ing. (FH), is internationally active as a Mental Coach, Top Speaker, and bestselling author. Since 2003, she has been running her institute, the Heimsoeth Academy in Rosenheim, where she offers seminars, training, and coaching in the areas of business, health, and sports. She was awarded as the "Speaker of the Year 2014" and is considered by FOCUS as "Germany's most renowned motivation trainer". Active worldwide. Appearances on Sport1, hamburg1, nrw.tv, BR (Blickpunkt Sport), and Sky as well as on
cruise ships (MS Europa 2, AIDA).
Information at
www.heimsoeth-academy.com,
www.antje-heimsoeth.com
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