Failing Forward Sometimes Includes a Face Plant

Due to some recent unfortunate events in my life, I’ve been thinking a lot about failure. At HORNE we are very positive about failure and see it as a necessary element of success in the workplace as well as in our personal lives. We encourage the act of failing forward, but what does this mean?

I think our philosophy aligns well with the Winston Churchill quote “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” We choose to see our failures as necessary learning opportunities on the way to a successful career. But in order to live this out we have to remember several things that define the way we handle failure. I have compiled a list of a few things we need to do in order to use our failures for ultimate success.

• Accept the fact that failures are inevitable

I don’t know about you, but I often get caught in the idea that I can avoid failure somehow. I believe that if I am careful enough and ask the right people for advice along the way, and work hard enough, I will manage to evade failure. But time and time again (including just last month when I received my CPA exam score) I relearned that failure is, in fact, inevitable. Author Robert T. Kiyosaki once said “Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” While accepting failure is important, our mental process cannot stop there.

• Learn from every failure

One of the managers on my team is notorious for telling us in almost every situation (especially the hard ones) that it is a ‘learning opportunity.’ And while we often joke about this constant reminder, it is one that is actually very helpful when dealing with a tough project, or even failure. When we fail, we have to make it a point to learn from the situation. Henry Ford said that “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing” and I think he is absolutely right. This is why I am currently taking time to examine the process I implemented recently that resulted in failure and adjust as necessary to ensure that I do not make the same mistakes again.

• Come back from each failure a little bit stronger

Zig Ziglar is an incredible speaker and author who pointed out that “It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” We have already established that we will fail, and (if we work hard enough) fail often. So it is imperative that we make the most of those failures, examine our processes to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and then get back on the horse being stronger than ever.

Let’s be honest, sometimes failing forward feels a lot like a face plant into the ground. In those moments I’ve found myself getting stuck in failures and dwelling on them for too long. I start believing lies that I am simply not good enough, that I just cannot meet certain expectations or that the situation is hopeless. This mindset is not only unhealthy but it also stops me from improving, learning and growing. While it is important to feel the weight of our failure and process the emotions that are also inevitable, we cannot stop there. We must push through and try again in a wiser, more experienced way.

Like I said before, this blog is a result of some recent failures in my life that I am determined to overcome. I am pushing back on the feelings of defeat and giving myself permission to fail, as long as I don’t make the same mistakes twice. I’m considering this a learning opportunity and I’m taking notes to beBetter for my family, friends, team and clients. During this process I’m reminded of how thankful I am to work in a culture where failure is not only okay, it is encouraged when used on the path to success. After all, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” (Robert F. Kennedy) So let’s fail fast and fail forward as we strive for excellence together.

About the Author

Megan Hudson is a former intern whose experience at HORNE changed her mind about what it means to work at a regional firm. As a risk analyst for HORNE Cyber, she specializes in IT assurance and risk services.