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Learning from mistakes: what are we *really* learning?
A side-note on the nature of ‘mistakes’
Let’s be clear, first of all, that a ‘mistake’ is a label we put on something we might not have done, or we might have done differently if we had the foresight that comes with hindsight (or a crystal ball).
A mistake isn’t something to ‘beat ourselves up’ about, to ruminate on or to regret, it’s simply a learning opportunity.
But how? What is it we are really learning?
And, therefore, how can we make the most of those opportunities to look backwards and reflect forwards?
What Did We Learn?
It’s common practice in organisations and project teams, in certain coaching scenarios, and even around the family dinner table(!) to ask,
What did we learn?
Meaning, how can we explain why something didn’t go to plan?
When we use learning in that context, we’re talking about what was done (or what was not done).
When we ask that question, we come up with answers like:
Let’s run more scenarios next time.
Let’s get more investment before we launch the next product.
Let’s launch more quickly.
Let’s launch more slowly.
Let’s bring in…
