In the spirit of Thanksgiving recently past, I ran across this blog post by Peter Guber (currently CEO of the Mandalay Entertainment Group) and thought it was fitting!He describes how difficult it can be to always pick winners -- and somehow avoid picking any turkeys. I love the points that he makes, though, about how to not get hung up when you do pick a turkey;
"I learned I wasn’t in charge of success. I was in charge of the process that hopefully would yield more success than failure. I began to be guided by three navigational stakes:
- My process and my diligence to execute was the best I could do.
- My attitude and determination to remain positive and confident was a critical catalyst for my success.
- My resiliency and ability to see failure as but a speed bump on the road to success allowed me to get back up when I was knocked down.
So, what does it all mean? Maybe it’s save turkeys for eating on Thanksgiving and try not to create them. Or perhaps it’s a reminder that turkeys are a part of life."
You might run into a change effort that fails, but don't be discouraged. Consider if you can tackle the change again in another manner, or if it really isn't going to stick and it maybe wasn't the right idea, then learn the lessons you can and move on.