Latest Posts - Page 46 of 192

July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 Grow From Failures

Differences In Perception – A Stupid Bet

There are many fights and arguments that start from differences in perception. Whether it is the line-of-sight, angle, or bias, we have differing views. These can cause reasonable people to take starkly different positions on a subject. While those are honest differences, they are also essential to note. Sometimes an argument can be avoided by one of the parties looking at the issue from a different perspective. We must realize these differences exist and work with them rather than digging in our heels. Differences in Perception and Perspectives Perspective has a more significant impact on our decisions and positions than most expect. We think we see things how they are and can be adamant about it. However, we all have... Read more

July 21, 2022July 15, 2022 Grow From Failures

Mistakes In The Cloud – Know Where Things Live

Modern technology is the focus of this episode as we look at mistakes in the cloud. You can impact a lot of people with a simple error. That is why you need to be aware of what these new tools do and how to use them properly. For example, backups are great unless you manage to delete them all. Likewise, file sharing is excellent. However, it can lead to one person disrupting the work of your entire team. These cloud-related tools take the reply-all option in emails from a minor nuisance to a potentially crippling obstacle. Mistakes In The Cloud Are Common First and foremost, know that the easy accessibility of these tools can be a problem. They tend to... Read more

July 19, 2022July 15, 2022 Grow From Failures

A Positive Attitude and Finding Hidden Gems

Sometimes a story is full of lessons without having a well-defined core. There are many players, and the successful have a positive attitude. This trend supersedes mistakes, errors, and even bad luck. We look at one of those complex situations in this episode. There are many mistakes made, and they all are overcome by being focused on success rather than listing ways we can fail. A Positive Attitude In The Face Of Adversity This story does not start with a situation and players that lead one to expect success. On the contrary, this seems like a recipe for disaster. Likewise, abject failure would not be a surprise and was likely expected by many. The difference-maker in this story is that... Read more

July 14, 2022July 5, 2022 Grow From Failures

Trust But Verify – Avoid Business Assumptions

There are multiple lessons to learn from this little debacle of a story. However, trust but verify seems to be the best summation. We have to assume a lot in business. There are levels of acceptance and expectance both from vendors and customers. While those base metrics can be helpful, they are not always guaranteed. Logically Skeptical – Trust But Verify The challenge with some of the rules mentioned above of thumb is that they can be used against us. The effect is not much different from other forms of “surprise” negotiation tactics. These are the attempts to get us on our heels just when we think we made it across the finish line. We have pointed to protective measures... Read more

July 12, 2022July 3, 2022 Grow From Failures

Know Who You Work For – Lines Are Not Always Clear

Clarity and communication are common themes in our improvement episodes. Those are most important when you need to know who you work for. Which master do you serve? The mistake highlighted this time is among many in a situation gone wrong. It also shows how some oversights or missteps can open the door to significant consequences. It does not hurt to be cautious in the modern business world. Things can change quickly. Important Clarification – Know Who You Work For There are competing goals and objectives even within companies. When you add on top of that all of the politics and maneuvering that exists in many environments, things can get complicated. Even more important, your boss is not always the... Read more

July 7, 2022June 25, 2022 Grow From Failures

Admitting Defeat – Moving Forward And Accepting The Loss

In a season about growing from errors and mistakes, it seems that an episode about admitting defeat is required. We cannot stay stationary and make progress. This concept holds for individual situations and group decisions like the one we examine. That is why some things in life clearly defined as a win or loss (a sports match, for example) are a blessing. We have no real choice other than to move forward. Yes, we can languish in the loss and try to reverse it. However, it is an exercise in futility that forces us sooner or later to accept reality. Admitting Defeat Is Necessary One of the key ingredients to learning from a mistake is recognizing it as such. That... Read more