February 2006

Innovation Tips
...ideas for building collaborative innovation
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Mistakes—disguised blessings

We all make mistakes. It’s part of human nature. But how can we turn those mistakes into opportunities for learning, growth and positive innovation?

First, we must realize that it’s impossible to go through life without making mistakes. The more active we are, the more mistakes we’ll make. It is virtually axiomatic.

National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones realizes this. He understands that the only way to stop making mistakes is to stop taking pictures. For the typical National Geographic article, he takes thousands of pictures to get the few photographs needed for the article. The vast majority of his shots are never used. He has learned the refined art of converting problems into opportunities—finding the next right answer until the brilliant photo serendipitously arrives.

Stock guru Jim Cramer also knows the value of mistakes. In his best-selling business book Confessions of a Street Addict, he freely acknowledges that he often makes mistakes. He writes in depth about using blunders as opportunities for learning.

“I’ve tried to look at my mistakes as learning opportunities,” he said on one of his radio programs, “The only way for me to stop making mistakes is to stop trying.” He said that people always criticize him when he gets it wrong, but that’s the price he pays for getting better.

Oprah Winfrey, who has accomplished astonishing renown as a cultural hero, has a great attitude about mistakes. She once said that she has never had any failures—only great learning opportunities.

The phenomenally successful industrial design firm IDEO has adopted a business motto that has become a way of life for the firm: “Fail early to succeed sooner.”

The next time you find yourself making mistakes or even seemingly monumental blunders, consider seeing the experience as a great learning opportunity. It is easy to get discouraged when we have failed. How different these experiences become when we see them as great learning opportunities—blessings in disguise.

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