Why Failure Is A Necessary Part Of The Innovation Process

Failure is a fact of life. We see it everywhere in our daily lives from a broken dishwasher to the inevitable breakdowns of technology. Innovation and failure are tightly tied together; one helps create the other. Innovation is about trying new things and taking risks, which inevitably involves mistakes. However, many organizations want to embrace their innovative spirit but fear the consequences of failure. In this article, I'll explore why failure is such an important part of innovation processes, why people avoid failure, tips for creating a culture that embraces failure and how I’ve used failure to improve client outcomes. We have this idea that the only way to succeed is to be perfect, so when we make a mistake or fall short of our goals, it can feel like a personal failure. But if you look at success stories in science, business and other industries especially those involving innovation you’ll find that they’re full of mistakes.