Failure is Success, Viewed Early

The journey from one to the other

OPINION PIECE

Uzair Hassan, CEO, Three H Solutions, Dubai, UAE

9/12/20263 min read

If one was to keep on trying to succeed, and one day did so, the above paradigm applies.

Success is, after all, a derivative of failure. A much improved, evolved version of it. Viewed from the lens of time, failure is success. Success is, eventually, yesterday’s failure, with tomorrow’s perspective.

Much has been said about being knocked down 10 times and getting up 11 times. Success thus is survival of all the past failures until they can change their name to success.

Failure is the beginning of a story. Success is the ending. Failure is the first draft of the book you are writing. Every wrong turn creates new opportunities where they didn’t exist before. Try anything enough times and one can get the success they wanted. The only difference between them then, is the timestamp.

Imagine reading a book, stopping at page 64 and declaring “It’s a tragedy”. The author can only smile because he knows you’re only halfway through. Success can only be judged when the last page is written. So success and failure are only temporary monikers we append to chapters in our book of life.

Given all the above variables and amplifications, we should look at failure as a stepping stone. Not the end result. Judging someone on their first attempt at something puts unnecessary pressure and unrealistic expectations on them. Our appraisal systems need to take this variable into account and corrective measures need to be implemented to align the pathway towards success. No judgement. Only alignment.

In fact, our performance management systems as a whole need to inculcate this into its entirety, not simply the appraisals themselves. This includes goal setting, continuous feedback, personnel development, performance evaluation, recognition & rewards et al. The end result may be critical, but the journey, how they got there, needs to be a part of their success story. The observation window is a design flaw in our performance management and this is a structural critique only. The window itself needs to be larger so that a clearer view is there for all to see.

The snapshot judgement and arbitrary checkpoints approach is passe. The shift needs to support a journey towards success. Not only events along the way. Yes, reviews and checkpoints do play a role in ensuring we are on the right track, or, if support needs to be provided, or alignment needs tweaking etc. etc. But judging far too early is what is under discussion. Obviously criteria need to be in place to gauge direction, trajectory, success factors, effort and alignment, to clarify the “Not yet” from “Not happening”.

The passage from one marker to the other can be transformative. The road itself would become an eye opener. Pushing the limits of our own limiting beliefs. Growth follows along the way. Awareness flourishes, a new world opens up. The same things we were doing, except with a slight pinch of salt and a different tweak, now open up new doors and success starts to see the light of day.

Organizations need to shun their approach towards failure, even allow it to occur, albeit under parameters set, and share the stories. This would allow a broader spectrum of staff to benefit, instead of shaming failure or hiding it.

We must start looking at failure as a pathway towards success, learning from our mistakes, creating new approaches to achieve our goals. The distinction between the two needs to be nuanced, and not harsh or absolute, as it is now.

The timestamp of success needs to be patiently observed, in all its entirety. Await the evidence. Witness its evolution. Time will allow one to see the picture unfold in all its glory.

Failure is a powerful teacher, only if one allows it to be.

Uzair Hassan, CEO, Three H Solutions, Dubai.

Uzair.hassan@3hsolutions.biz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/uzair-hassan-6451024/