Failure Is Success Rounded Down

January 15, 2009

It took me 6 rounds of job interview sessions and some real strong recommendation to receive my job at eClinicalWorks LLC. The good thing is that I received the job (i.e. success); the bad part is that I had to prove myself 6 times before being chosen for the job (i.e. failure).

Failure has many flavors:

1. Failure to meet expectation
2. Failure to anticipate
3. Failure to process and complete a task

Here is a quick recollection of the areas where I have failed :

1. As a Student : In my 10th grade I failed in “English Language” as a subject. (Reason: Attention span of a moth)
2. As a Coordinator : In my previous experience as a “Development Coordinator”, I was not able to perform my duties. (Reason: Half knowledge is dangerous)
3. As a Project Manager : The most important aspect of being a Project Manager is constant follow-up. I have had incidences where I have missed following up on a project.
4. As a Network Team Member : I have failed in making sure the team follows the best-practices for Internal Communication.
5. As a Knowledge Manager : One of the responsibilities of a Knowledge Manager is efficient transfer of knowledge amongst various departments. I failed to do so.

Failure is directly proportional to the mistakes one makes. 

Here is what have I learned from my failed experiences / mistakes :

1. Always admit your mistakes.
2. Accept responsibilities and follow-up.
3. Work to understand why it happened and what the factors were.
4. Never give up (keep on trying until you succeed).
5. Try not to make the same mistakes again.
6. Effective communication is the key to success.
7. Learn from the past and move on with life.
8. Learn from the mistakes of others.

In life, to be honest, I have failed as much as I have succeeded. Despite the pain and the stress of the failure, there is always a learning curve which one must embrace. This is what we call experience.

“Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde