When You Try and Fail in Your Career, What’s Next?

By Dr. Bruce A. Johnson

 

Whenever you fail, try, try again, or so the saying goes. There has been a great deal written about failure within self-development articles, and the need to embrace it, accept it, and learn from it. It seems there has been so much written about it, many people may begin to expect it to occur as a natural part of their career. Authors often frame failure as one of life’s greatest lessons, which may be the primary reason why it is such a popular topic now. The idea of having to overcome something challenging seems like a way to rediscover one’s self or renew one’s sense of determination.

What’s interesting about a time in a person’s life when something they call failure has been experienced is that this is not a time when he or she will be receptive to looking at it as a period of renewal or discovery. As a mentor and coach, I’ve found most people who experience failure in their career usually become stalled in their habits of thought and approach to managing their goals. They usually continue to function in the same manner, following the same routines.

The saying begins with “If at first you don’t… “; but before you try again, perhaps you should understand why you attained the outcome you did. If you simply repeat the same actions you may end up with the same results again. If you take no action and give into the feeling you have failed, whether it was an actual event or something you perceived has happened, you are also giving into circumstances.

While you cannot control every situation in your career, there are steps you can take now to change or improve future outcomes. However, before you take any course of action, the first recommendation I can make is to understand what it means to fail.

 

What is Failure?

When someone states to me “I have failed”, whether a student or someone I am mentoring, my first question to this person is: How do you define failure? The response is usually related to the details of an occurrence; however, I am more interested in a definition of the word itself first. When you believe you have reached a point of failure, does it mean you have not met an actual goal, something you hoped to achieve, or something you were attempting to acquire?

This is helpful as it teaches people how to reframe the word “fail”, which can then be viewed not as an occurrence, but in degrees of an event. For example, instead of stating “I failed because I did not complete my goal” – you can state “I completed 80% of my goal by the due date”. This is one method of reframing an occurrence.

In addition, you should consider the role of expectations when an event occurs. Were your expectations not met, and if so, were those expectations realistic? Or were you trying to meet the expectations of someone else, which can almost certainly set you up for failure if those expectations were not realistic?

There is nothing wrong with setting ambitious goals, and I never discourage students or mentees when they want to dream. Expectations are different as someone can expect something to occur without considering what it would take for this happen. For example, there could be an expectation for a promotion, without considering how to prepare for it, or how to stand out among other potential candidates. Then if the person does not receive the promotion, because of not being prepared and/or having the wrong expectations – it creates an inaccurate impression about failure.

In contrast, it is also helpful to explore success and how this word is defined. From a career perspective, success may be thought of in terms of gains; such as an increase in a person’s income or a job title. For example, a person might be successful in their career if they have been promoted to a management position. There is an assumption they have “made it” or at least they have improved their marketability and career value. A challenge for defining career success and failure is that both words can be subjectively described from one person to the next.

 

How Do You Know You Have Failed?

When someone believes they have failed, it is also helpful to determine the basis of what is being used to measure success. Then you can better understand if you are accurately measuring your progress. More importantly, you can decide if success is something you should measure or is important for your career growth.

When you explore the meanings of the words failure and success, you begin to take the mystery out of those words. Instead of being subjective in nature, and tied to conditions or circumstances which can change or are uncontrollable, you are able to associate these words with specific goals. Both of these strategies will allow you to work through incidents in your career and really decide if in fact you have failed.

What you will likely discover is that you have established a measurement you can now reset or continue to work towards, or perhaps, you will discover this event was not controllable and as a result – you are not a failure. You do not need to give every occurrence an extreme label. Not every goal will be met in your career; there will be attempts and best efforts made along the way.

With so much written about success and its opposite, people begin to believe these are important career indicators, and should be used as a guide or measurement of progress. When so much emphasis is put on these factors, it can end up leading to a form of decision paralysis or inaction, in an attempt to avoid not living up to expectation or measurements that determine what is perceived to create success.

What most people discover over time: the best way to learn and grow in their career is to try, make attempts, and make an effort when a goal is set; realizing that mistakes, and even what may be called failure, are all part of the process.

 

What Happens Next?

After you made an effort and you did not reach the outcome you had hoped for or wanted, whether or not you call it a failure, the belief is you should try again. But that can only perpetuate a continuous cycle of falling short. A more effective approach is to know why this event happened, and how you can better plan or prepare to try again.

My approach is as follows: If at first (or second, or third, or any time) you do not succeed, STOP:

Self-Assess: This is a time to acknowledge your immediate reactions and feelings, response to the situation, and what you are experiencing. This will allow you to then examine the issue itself as strong emotions make it especially difficult to be objective. You can give yourself permission to be upset, feel anger or any other natural emotions. The key to emotional intelligence is not acting while you are feeling those emotions. You recognize what you are feeling and you wait until you have those emotions under control before you make any further decisions.

Transform: Once you have acknowledged your emotions, you need to prepare to transform your thoughts, which means being willing to remove the label you have given yourself. You are likely thinking in extreme measures of success or failure, and if so, this may create a fearful mindset. Even if the worst has happened, such as failing to receive a promotion you had expected or needed, you can recover – if you are willing to transform your mindset. It is not about being open-minded, rather it is about being willing to act again, only when you are ready.

Organize: Now you can begin to examine what occurred and organize your thoughts, ideas, and notes. A helpful strategy is use of a mind map, as you can break down a concept into subjects or topics and this may help you organize your thoughts at this point now. This is the time to examine your expectations, measurements, and goals. Work through what has happened without using a label, so you can determine what to do to make improvements.

Prepare: By the time you have worked through the first three steps, you are ready to decide if and when you should try again. You will know if the same actions should be taken, or if a new approach is needed. If your view of success, or the outcomes you want have now changed, you can establish new goals. You will be ready to try again, once you are well prepared.

We all like to set goals in our careers and have something to work towards. It helps provide a source of motivation. But when we do not succeed in meeting those goals, do not acquire something we have hoped for, or we have not gotten something we have expected, the way we view an outcome like this has an impact on our growth and mindset. If it is viewed as a failure, it becomes a source of negativity which can become a career blocker. Or if you simply “try try again” – the same result may occur.

When you have an important goal and do not meet it, STOP and give yourself time to recover, and then try again. A negative label such as failure serves no purpose and creates an attitude of defeat in the long term. Your ability to achieve your goals is always within your control. You can achieve any goal you decide is important, as long as you stay focused on the progress you’ve made and believe in yourself.

 

About

Dr. J’s mission is to teach, write, and inspire others as an academic educator, leader, author, writer, and mentor.

Dr. J has been working in the field of higher education and distance learning since 2005, with roles that have included Chief Academic Officer, online instructor, college instructor, and online faculty development specialist. Dr. J also has significant experience with curriculum development, having developed hundreds of courses for corporate training programs, along with bachelors, masters, and doctorate college degree programs.

Dr. J founded Afforded Quality Writing in 2003 and writes hundreds of resumes each year, utilizing a skill set based approach to highlight the best of each person’s career.

Dr. J writes blog posts, articles, and books to inform, inspire, and empower readers. To learn more about resources that are available for career and professional development, please visit: http://www.drbruceajohnson.com/