how did you handle failure(if any) at the start of your role. What was the impact of the failure, how did you overcome it mentally, and in the workplace?
I am a current undergraduate senior pursuing an accounting degree and enrolled in an IT workforce development program to enhance my computer skills. #computer #accounting
10 answers
Don’s Answer
Geovanny we learn our most valuable lessons through failure and through partial successes. This is critical for you to understand in developing your craft and advancing your career. You will try many new things in your lifetime and your choices will be governed by stimulus like fear and joy which you learn through your experiences and those of others if you are paying attention.
When faced with a failure, 1.) examine your situation and decide if there is a way to recover or achieve partial success, 2.) admit that the approach you took wasn't the right/best one (to yourself and others), 3.) use what you've learned to make adjustments so that you don't repeat them in the future.
The greatest advice I could possibly give here is do not be afraid to admit a mistake - that will haunt you for life if you cannot admit mistakes and learn from them.
Don, thank you for the wonderful input. I will think about this response when faced with a difficult challenge.
Geovanny
One of the new norms in any career is the pace...it continues to go faster and faster... in order to continue to create the next innovative idea....we must change our mindset....Failure is necessary. We must learn to celebrate the failures as long as we can test and learn and fail fast. As Don mentioned that failure offers us tremendous learning.
Be bold... and have a career full of test and learns. Remember a failure isnt something to "overcome"
barbara fuentez
Thank you Barbara!
Geovanny
Jennifer Schoenig
Jennifer’s Answer
Geovanny, I concur with Don's advice. Failure is a part of learning. The impact of failure is to challenge yourself to do it better next time. You do this by first understanding why the failure occurred. This takes self reflection that isn't always easy to do. Admitting your role and not putting blame on others.. And, to do it honestly and with integrity. Then, you can truly learn from it. That is part of what makes us all grow. Understanding that you can't win them all is something that you will need to learn to accept - in work and in life. And, it's not just at the start of your role or career. We all have failures at different stages of our career. Learning how to handle the failures is what will make you successful.
Thank you Jennifer!, godspeed.
Geovanny
Adam’s Answer
When I first started at PwC I would make numerous mistakes on routine tasks I'd now find incredibly easy. The key is to learn from the mistake. Learning from a mistake is easier said than done, however. The process is specific to each individual, but here is how I try to learn from mistakes I make:
1) Ask your superiors why it was a mistake and really listen to their thoughts.
2) Write down action steps for the moment, and for the future.
3) Save a spot in a notebook (or in a word/notes document) where you can refer to if you are confused in the future about a similar task
4) Ask questions if you are unsure how to do something! All of your managers will be happy to answer your questions as it'll help you learn while ensuring you make less mistakes that they need to correct later on!
5) Thank the individuals you asked for help for teaching you. They will appreciate your thanks and be more likely to reach out when you have questions in the future.
Thank you Adam!
Geovanny
Pallavi’s Answer
Failure is inevitable. Instead of running away from the failed consequences, we should always take back lessons learnt and working toward a success.
My first failure did not go down well with me, I associated it to humiliation, a pull down to my career progression.
The best way to overcome it was to accept the failure, deep dive to understand what contributed to the failure and make a success story out of it. I was lucky to be surrounded by people who never considered failure as something to be looked down upon. They were very supportive in making my failure a success.
Jamie’s Answer
Saania’s Answer
Lindsey’s Answer
Parshwajyoti’s Answer
Roy’s Answer
Hi Geovanny,
Others have mentioned that failures happen at all career levels. However, you have specifically asked about the beginning of the career when one is most prone to making errors so I will address this.
New staff are expected to make mistakes. There are some individuals that will not recognize this or have forgotten that they were in the same shoes, but your organization may assign you a buddy and/or coach and/or mentor with which you can speak about your feelings after something has not gone the way you anticipated. If you are not assigned individuals with these roles, find a person that can informally fulfill the advisor role for you.
Most "failures" at the beginning of a career will just result in the product having to be redone. One day, you will be a position where you will be teaching and supervising the work. Having made an error in the past will give you a valuable story to tell the individuals that you teach such that they are less likely to do the same. In this sense, you can mentally treat each failure as a learning opportunity and potential future story.
Personally, I took the errors that I made at the beginning of my career and made a compendium of them to share with new staff after I reached the point of being viewed as one of the more experienced people within my team. I visually showed them the errors within workshops, explained the misconceptions that may have led to the errors, and then shared best practices.
Pranjal’s Answer
If you have failed at something at the start of your role it is okay. Its just the start and you are not a master at it. When you do that for a number of years and find the same thing happening again that's when you need to worry. i think the main thing is how you grow from that failure. you would need to learn how to cope up with initial failures to turn into a successful professional. Dont get disheartened, instead take that failure and learn from it. You know what mistakes you have made and where you need to put your mind. I think thats a great learning. Talk to people around you, learn from their experience. Thats what makes you successful going forward.
Hope that helps !!