6Mindset: Fail Faster and WTF (Willing to Fail)
ONE OF THE first requirements for me with organizations I'm working with is that we replace some commonly used words, beginning with the word “problem.” I hear “we have big problems” in a lot of organizations. The word is deflating and influences teams' attitudes and outlooks. The reaction to the word is visceral: eye rolling, slumping shoulders, poor body language, and clenched jaws, to name a few. Replacing the word “problem” with “challenge” engages a mindset shift in how we respond emotionally, and sometimes even physically.
Words (and Thoughts) Matter
As we see people work through these values, self-talk becomes an absolute critical part of your journey of excellence. I love the Henry Ford quote “If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.” As a child I often read the book The Little Engine That Could. I recall starting to tell myself positive things as I went to high school, knowing that one of my biggest adversaries was the voice inside my head, making excuses, blaming others, urging me to quit hard things, and ignoring data. So my loser behaviors could easily come out because my internal voice was supporting those standards, and it was not working for me, and may have even been working against me. Imagine, me versus me, and my internal self is winning! If your internal voice is holding you back and producing negative behaviors or results, you must start there to turn it around.
Get Leading Winning Teams now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
