Fear of failure, risk and results

 

In his blog "A View from the Q", Paul Boraswki,  invites us to think about  risk, failure and our personal position in relation with these issues. Additionally Paul gives us access to a study on the comfort level of parents towards their children's failures.

Paul leaves some questions to be answered in relation to the management of the failures in our workplace:

Do you try again until you find a solution? Are you penalized for failure? Or do you avoid it altogether? How much risks are you willing to take to find solutions to quality challenges?

To answer these questions I would first think that the only time we have is the present, and that depending on what we do today will have a future.  For that reason if we want to have a better future we must “act”  and it has always implied the risk of making some mistakes.

According to ISO Guide 73, we have the following definition of risk:

Risk is the probability of an event multiplied by its consequences.

The consequences can be either positive or negative, are the result of our actions, so we must mitigate the negative impacts and promote positive.

Likelihood is the possibility that the positive or negative event of our action occurs.

We are always able to influence both risk factors, for which we must prepare, improve our skills and always make decisions based on the best information available to us.

The ISO has developed a standard for Risk Management:  ISO 31000: Risk Management, Guidelines andPrinciples. In the revision of ISO 9001 risk management principles and concepts are included transversely.

Risk is inherent in any action, whether before dedicating to a sport or activity I prepare myself physically and mentally and analyze all the factors involved, my downside risks decrease and I can improve my chances of success and reduce the negative impacts.

The only sure way to be safe (no risks), is to do nothing in life, but that in turn is too risky.

In life you have to try many times, and not be afraid to fail, and each time learning from our mistakes to avoid them in the next try.

Parents should teach their children to take risks, and to recognize that what is achieved with effort is worthwhile.  We must do not penalize the errors, but the failure to try.

Now back to the questions and answer them from my personal point of view:

• While we have forces, we must pursue our dreams, no matter the falls we have had, or may come in the future.
• We should never punish risk-taking, but the failure to do analysis before acting. Making mistakes is always good if we learn from it.
• My personal challenge is to learn and inform in the best way me to assume the risks of continuing promoting quality.

César Díaz