As each new year begins, many newspapers and magazines share the important highlights of the previous year and reflect upon the achievements and challenges we faced around the world.
Reflection can be a useful exercise that provides insight for the road ahead. When mistakes are made or we come up a little short, we learn valuable lessons from these setbacks and arm ourselves with new and creative ways of thinking. By creating a safe space to openly and constructively process failure, a team can take ownership together and strategize on how to do things differently in the future.
Running a business is a lot like going on a high adventure trek. Planning is crucial, but unexpected things are bound to happen and conditions on the ground will change. Your ability to think on your feet and function as a team will be essential for you to remain successful. And when certain elements are out of your control, you must make an effort to stay connected, remain effective and keep learning and growing together. Adaptation. Communication. Teamwork. When faced with challenges large and small, these are the traits that will ensure you survive the voyage.
We have heard that failure is our greatest teacher. Our culture at BT includes the idea that "Everyone is allowed to fail at anything, anytime—but only once." If each employee commits to learning from every mistake and guarantees not to repeat them, in ten years, you will be leading a team of superheroes. Show your team that by pushing the limits—of themselves and technology—failure will most certainly happen, but this can also give way to some of the biggest breakthroughs. If you're afraid to risk failure, then you’re operating in safe space and businesses seldom thrive in safe spaces indefinitely.
As 2022 begins to take shape, pause a moment to examine the previous year and take stock. Garner any facts and feedback you think will prove useful for the coming journey and then turn your focus forward. While we never know what lies up ahead, if we commit to growing individually and collectively, there are no hurdles we can’t overcome.