Difficulties, whether small, large, one-off or recurrent, are part of the daily life of leaders. These challenges are often an opportunity to bounce back from a failure, or a mistake and to improve. In order to do this more easily, I personally use three steps. This process allows me to go faster, and above all to learn in the long term, I rarely make the same mistake twice, unless I still have things to learn…
The process presented here is one that I also use in coaching when appropriate. It’s not always comfortable, but it works and really propels us.
Here are 3 steps to bounce back after a failure or difficulty.
1. Be aware
Have you ever been surprised by a difficult situation? Like what:
- A member of the team who is leaving.
- One sector has reached a breaking point in terms of productivity due to a lack of staff retention.
Or have you ever been a little in denial… (I, the optimist, can happen to me!).
- It’s going to be placed.
- It always ends up being settled.
But sometimes you just have to stop and take stock.
Take a step back, as frequently as possible.
Ideally every day or several times a week. Take 5-10 minutes and take stock of a topic, a team, your day in general. Pay attention to weak signals, unspoken words, changes in behavior.
Personally, at least 5 days out of 7, I start my day with a diary and I analyze what is happening in relation to a situation or in general. I don’t have problems 5 days a week, but this step back allows me to anticipate. Often I find solutions to small elements or I recognize beautiful things that are happening.
This last point is important in order to bounce back after a failure. Of course you read an article on how to bounce back from failures, or difficulties, and at the same time, you have to learn to recognize what is going well. It’s not all “negative” or noteworthy!
Coach Questions
- When is the best time for you to look back on what’s going on around you? Whether it’s with your team, your goals, or yourself?
2. Accept and take responsibility
When there is a difficulty, accept that there will be a time when you will have to deal with the situation. Accept that you didn’t see it coming. Or that you saw it coming and didn’t act at the right time. Without feeling guilty. In the field of learning, all the timings are good.
Taking responsibility is also very important. If, for example, you end up with a high turnover rate, take responsibility.
Yes, I know that there is the market, the lack of labour and all that. I grant you that. But dare to take responsibility. Things often don’t happen overnight. Didn’t act fast enough? You thought you needed to take more care of your teams, but never had the time? You knew you needed to communicate better, but you didn’t know how?
Regardless, there is no doubt that you could have done something. Without controlling external factors, but from the internal, that is to say you, your decisions, your actions, your reactions.
The article “How to anticipate without creating anxiety” contains a graph on what you can and cannot control. If you are interested, click here.
Coach Questions
- What could you have done differently to better see the situation coming?
- What could you have done to act more fairly in this situation?
- Is this the first time you’ve experienced this or is it recurrent?
- If it is recurrent, what are the factors that tend to recur?
- What are you prepared to take on as a responsibility?
3. Act to bounce back
After having “analyzed” and empowered yourself, you are ready to act.
It is impossible to act if you have not become aware. Awareness means seeing things as they are. Reality is not always what you want, and reality allows you to act in a fair and relevant way.
In addition, you will act with a more positive impact in the long term if you accept the situation and take your rightful responsibility. Being disappointed, frustrated, outraged, angry, weary, or sad are completely normal emotions if you’re facing a challenge, but they don’t solve anything in the long run.
Coach Questions
- Knowing all this, from now on, what are you ready to put in place following your learning?
- Who or what do you need to succeed?
- What’s your plan? (Make a concrete plan with milestones and deadlines!)
In conclusion in order to bounce back after a failure
In conclusion, taking a step back frequently during which you become aware of what is going well and anticipate potential difficulties will allow you to act more fairly, appropriately and at the right time.
Once the emotion and the situation are recognized and passed, take action. Bounce!