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Based on my experiences with over a thousand innovators during the past 20 years, I understand that innovation includes both success and failure. Many good ideas are difficult to implement or are “too early” for public acceptance. In some cases, the development of an idea into a working product is a lengthy process. This process typically includes multiple tests and a significant number of failures. However, successful innovators learn from these failures to modify their approach and prepare another test.
I recently read an article that reminded me of Thomas Edison’s many attempts to create a working light bulb. Edison did not view his thousands of experiments as failures. Instead, Edison characterized those unsuccessful experiments as approaches that did not work. Thus, he viewed each unsuccessful experiment as a “learning experience” and moved on to the next experiment. I believe this is a characteristic of all successful innovators. People rarely achieve success on their first try – innovators understand this. Each attempt is a new opportunity to gather information and further refine the idea.
I’ve also met innovators who develop completely new ideas based on these failed experiments. In many cases, after an unsuccessful experiment, the person takes a step back and looks at the problem from a different perspective. This new perspective may cause the innovator to discover new ideas not previously considered. Without the failed experiment, the person may not have considered this alternate perspective and may not have discovered the new ideas. So, when developing a particular idea, be sure to record those brand new thoughts that pop into your mind – these are seed ideas for future development.
Think about your own habits. When you are developing a new idea, how do you react to unsuccessful experiments? Do you get frustrated and give up – or, do you learn from those situations and plan the next test? Instead of getting frustrated or discarding the entire idea, look at the cause of the failure and find ways to modify one or more aspects of the idea and try again. Record every test result so you can revisit the test results later with a fresh set of eyes.
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.