Failure and how to use it!

Failure and how to use it!

By Daryl M. Williams

December 20, 2012

There is a quote that goes “Failure to plan is planning to fail” and it is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin. I think about this quote as I reflect on the areas where I made mistakes, whether personal or professional. More importantly, I think about how to improve upon the mistakes I’ve made and how I can turn those failures into success either for me or someone else.

As I was teaching last night I relayed the story of how years ago I applied for a role in an organization and listed myself as having a skill set/experience level they listed as essential. I had only performed the skill a time or two and I definitely didn’t paint myself as an expert, however I still FAILED. Where I failed is that I didn’t bone up on that particular skill and when the telephone interview came, I answered in a manner that painted me as unqualified for the role.

I FAILED because even though I was told, per the job posting, this specific skill was essential, I was too giddy about the opportunity that I failed to plan, failed to research and FAILED to land the job.

What have I learned and what I’ve done to show that learning is what matters now. I’ve told my story to clients, to students, to family and friends. I’ve let them know how my failure to do what should have been obvious and is now second nature is something they should avoid and given some tips on how to do that:

·         Effectively utilize social media to research organizations: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook

·         Use other resources to research organizations: Glassdoor, Careerbliss

·         Incorporate your network and build it to assist in understanding the organization

·         Understand the requirements the job posting has told you matter and determine where, if any, gaps exist between your skills and the expected skill level

It feels good to get that off my chest and all things considered, I’m better for learning this lesson and being able to share it with others.

What have you learned from your past failures and how have you use that knowledge to benefit yourself or others?