Mistakes

Mistakes

Tom Watson Sr. was the guiding hand in the success of IBM for forty years. He knew the risks associated with business and the value of learning from mistakes. One year a young executive was given responsibility for a project that cost over $10 million. As it turned out, the idea failed, and when the young man was called in, he offered his resignation.

"You can't be serious," said Watson. "We've just spent $10 million education you!"

When Thomas Edison was trying to invent the electric light, he made thousands of "mistakes" before he had any success. The discovery of rubber vulcanization was made by accident. Gail Borden made countless business blunders before achieving success with condensed milk. Levi Strauss made the mistake of selling his entire supply of dry goods, leaving him with only canvas to make pants from. Milton Hershey failed more than once in the candy making business before finding success with the Hershey bar.

Almost every enterprise has experienced its share of mistakes. Mistakes are a tool of learning. Although repeating mistakes is foolish, a legitimate try that turns sour should be accepted as part of the process moving forward to a better idea. Those who adhere to the old adage, "If you are not making mistakes, you are not making progress" are frequently the persons who make the biggest advancements in business. We have a natural tendency to avoid trial and error, and often find risk-taking to be unsettling. Yet, it is those who take calculated risks who reap the benefits. As Edward J. Phelps so aptly stated, "The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."

Consider this: Are you so afraid of making mistakes that you are shielding yourself from success?

Alan Elliott
Author of "A Daily Dose of the American Dream"