How to Rebound from Failure
By Sandy Schroeder
Picking yourself up and starting over after a failure can be tough, but researchers say future succcess is more likely if you focus on achieving results. It’s tempting to try very hard not to fail again, but that approach may actually make failure more likely.
Concentrating on what you hope to achieve is really the way forward, according to Travis Bradberry, co-founder of TalentSmart, an agency that serves 75 percent of the Fortune500 companies. It's the difference between thinking, "I should do this," instead of "I shouldn't do that."
Bradberry says what you do after a failure can be critical for your recovery, and your reputation, influencing the way others see you and the mistakes.
Here are some tips for recovery
Stand up and face the situation – Hiding out, not talking about it, or not quite accepting that it happened simply won’t work. Facing it squarely and acknowledging it gives you a chance to wipe the slate clean for yourself and everyone else. Hoping it will just fade away can make you seem weak or incompetent.
Speak up to explain what happened – But don’t offer a bunch of excuses. Instead, clearly state what happened and what your part was in the mishap. Everyone can relate to failures and they respect someone who owns up to theirs.
Get back in the game – Failure can make people afraid and hesitant to venture out again, but that attitude can make things worse. Once you have acknowledged the failure and explained it, start looking for ways to try again. Waiting increases negativity, and feelings of vulnerability.
Come up with a new plan – Don’t wait for others to do the cleanup and present new solutions. Evaluate the mistakes and come up with specific ways to move forward. If you can, give your boss or colleagues a point-by-point plan of the steps needed to fix everything.
Create prevention measures – To reassure everyone that mistakes will not be repeated, create a solid prevention plan. Your follow-through with details will be important.
Let your actions reflect your attitude – The mental strength that it takes to rebound is a core part of emotional intelligence. Bradberry suggests having a good perspective, optimism and persistence.
In my opinion, persistence may count for the most. The people that I have known who failed and rebounded to achieve success simply refused to give up. When other people were packing up and going home, they hung in there and kept right on working. I think their victories might have been even sweeter when they did achieve success.
Wherever you are with the issues of failure or success, calmly assess what you need to do, and stay focused to make the best calls for the future.
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