Thinking About Failure

Most of us thrive on optimism. We look at situations and try to imagine the best possible outcomes. If we constantly focused on what could go wrong we'd live a pretty gloomy life. We'd also be a person others would not want to be around. Our life would be filled with anxiety and we'd likely be too afraid to act. You certainly don't want to go there but there are times, however, when thinking about failure and what might go wrong can be helpful. 

Next time you plan a project, whether it be a facility upgrade, a new activity or some other change, take just a few minutes to consider the worst case scenario. You've looked at what could go right. It's why you're moving ahead with the project. Spend a few minutes considering what if your assumptions are wrong. What if things don't work out. 

It's easy to get caught up in the positive side of a project in an effort to sell yourself or others on it. There's an excitement to something new that leads us to look at the upside while ignoring the potential pitfalls. Considering what could go wrong offers the following advantages: 

1. If you anticipate problems you may be able to make adjustments to prevent them or at least create a contingency plan. 

2. When you look at both the positive and negative sides of a project there are opportunities to learn. Assessing the potential risks might uncover potential problems whose solutions may actually improve the project. 

3. Considering the potential for failure might make you realize the risk vs. reward of a project just doesn't make sense and maybe it's not worth doing. It's easy sometimes to fall in love with an idea and overlook the negative. Force yourself to be a pessimist for just a little while and ask some hard questions. 

4. By looking at both sides of a potential project, you'll be prepared for questions, for doubters, for those who don't think it will work. Whether you have to sell the project to others to get permission and/or funding or you just want to get them excited about it, looking at the potential problems keeps you from being surprised by other people's doubts.