The following anecdote is probably the most quoted about error culture: Henry Ford did not dismiss an employee who had caused a large loss, contrary to the recommendations of his superior. He did so on the grounds that he had just invested a large sum in his further training. Most people seem to identify with Henry Ford’s generous attitude and less with the employee. There is no other way to explain why people are so reluctant to tell their stories of failure.
Failures often make for the most impressive stories.
A client was department head of a large company. He came to me for a personal and professional assessment. In the session in which we focused on storytelling, he was depressed because of a difficult workshop from the previous day. After we had uncovered an impressive story, he asked me to leave it at that for the moment. He was feeling tired and would like to let it settle for him in peace.
Good stories where we don’t expect them
I asked him what he found so depressing about the previous day’s experiences. He told me about the workshop he had organised with an external consultant as part of a change project. Although he had had a bad feeling after the previous briefing with the consultant that the proposed approach would not work, he had done nothing. After all, this was his first change project, and he did not trust his own judgement.
The situation in the workshop escalated and the employees reacted with fear and defence. It was only with great difficulty that he was able to prevent worse. My client then spent a sleepless night. The next morning, he cancelled all appointments and held long one-to-one meetings with the three most important employees. These discussions brought them back on board and the situation calmed down.
It all depends on the findings
My client was irritated when I smiled and told him that he had just added another success story to his collection. It revealed special qualities: self-criticism, quick comprehension, acceptance of responsibility, communication skills and empathy. These were the visible successes in this story. What was perhaps more valuable was what he had learnt from this experience. Just one day later, he was able to discover mistakes that he would never make again, because such painful lessons are lasting.
So don’t be afraid to tell your ‘failure stories’. However, this is on the condition that you have learnt your lessons and are able to communicate them. Your interviewer will be relieved to know that they will not have to reckon with these mistakes when they hire you.