Why All Failures Are Not Equal

Failing intelligently is the key to progress

“An intelligent failure is an undesired result in new territory. There’s no way you can know for sure whether it will work out without trying it. ”(Amy Edmondson, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well)

We value failures for the lessons they teach us.

There’re two dominant narratives about failure. One says, avoid failures at any cost. The other says, fail fast, fail often.

Both the above cultures don’t advance the cause of progress. Avoiding failures will lead to stagnation. Reckless failures will have serious consequences.

Amy Edmondson says, an intelligent failure is different from two common types of failures- a basic failure and a complex failure.

A basic failure is caused by carelessness. A complex failure is triggered by multiple factors. Both these failures are predictable and avoidable.

An intelligent failure, on the other hand, is the result of calculated and prudent risk-taking.

Scientific progress and technological innovations are products of intelligent failures. Exploration and experimentation are the defining features of an intelligent failure.

An intelligent failure, according to Amy Edmondson, has four features:

1. The experiment happens in uncharted territory. There’re no models to copy or recipe to look up. It’s going where no one has gone before.
2. The decision is well-informed and thoughtful with the intention of reaping a significant reward in the end.
3. The hypothesis is plausible, backed by credible evidence, not a leap in the dark.
4. The scale of the failure should be manageable.

An example of intelligent failure

The drug company, Eli Lilly, spent millions of dollars and a decade of research to develop a blockbuster drug called Alimta, to treat lung cancer. The drug failed in expanded clinical trials.

The scientists examined the data and found that Alimta worked for some patients, but not for others. The patients who did not see any improvement had one thing in common- a folic acid deficiency. The drug proved effective when it was reformulated with folic acid. It has helped thousands of lung cancer patients.

Enabling conditions to foster a culture of failing intelligently

Amy Edmondson says organisations must promote a culture of psychological safety to make intelligent failures possible.

People must have the freedom to pursue novel ideas, which are prima facie sensible. They should not be penalised for taking reasonable and calculated risks, which will not cause serious harm, if they failed to achieve their goals. In the end, there’ll be useful lessons learned, which can be used to catalyse useful innovations.

The concept of intelligent failures also applies to other domains like personal relationships.

People struggle to fail intelligently for three reasons- aversion, confusion, and fear. People are averse to risk-taking, are confused about the nature of failure, and fear the probable harmful consequences of failure.

Embracing the right kind of wrong leads to intelligent failures, which help scientific progress and technological innovation. Organisations and individuals flourish when people feel free to experiment with novel ideas, which lead to new discoveries. Even if they failed, the consequences will be manageable, and the lessons learned could spur further innovation.

Failing smart is an essential step in human progress. Failing intelligently is failing forward to achieve ultimate success.

Thanks for reading!