“You cannot learn very much about excellence from studying failure. Of all the infinite number of ways to perform a certain task, most of them are wrong. There are only a few right ways. Excellence is not the opposite of failure; it is just different. It has its own configuration.” — First, Break all the Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
This quote resonates deeply with a core principle in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming): if your goal is to model excellence, studying dysfunction and failure will not be helpful. Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP, compared this approach to analyzing wrecked cars in a junkyard as a means of designing the next generation of automobiles. Observing how things break down won’t reveal the elements needed for a high-performance car. The same logic applies to dysfunctional families, individuals, and organizations—analyzing breakdowns does not illuminate the path to excellence.
Why Failure Doesn’t Teach Us Excellence
Buckingham and Coffman suggest that little about excellence can be learned from failure because failure comes in many forms, while success is far more specific. Developing expertise and achieving excellence require pinpointing essential factors and working with them in a focused way. The first key is identifying what’s necessary and sufficient for success, elements often absent in failed scenarios.
The Focused Pursuit of Expertise
For those aspiring to expertise, knowing the essential factors means avoiding endless alternatives. This can be challenging, especially for those inclined toward keeping their options open. Constantly exploring other methods, rather than adhering to tried-and-tested practices, can lead to distraction and dilute the focus needed for excellence.
Excellence Has Its Own Configuration
Buckingham and Coffman also emphasize that excellence has a unique structure. This structure often comes to light through innovative thinking, resulting in paradigm shifts. Someone thinking outside the box might discover new variables that lead to excellence. This process involves brainstorming, reading beyond one’s field, and asking questions like, “What am I missing?” or “What else could be possible here?”
Excellence: A Generative, Not Remedial, Process
Excellence is rarely achieved by fixing what hasn’t worked. It is generative, emerging from fresh thinking in an area and often re-evaluating assumptions that led to past failures. Often, failures occur because actions were based on false premises, not simply due to mechanical breakdowns.
Studying Failure Teaches Failure
When you study failure, you primarily learn about how things go wrong. At best, you identify the factors that need repair. Ironically, much problem-solving focuses exclusively on correcting issues and identifying responsible parties. This remedial approach seldom leads to excellence, as it aims only to fix what’s broken rather than creating something superior.
Shift from Problem-Focused to Solution-Focused Thinking
The key to achieving excellence is not to reverse-engineer failure but to start with a solution-focused mindset. By focusing on the desired outcome and defining what excellence means for that outcome, you can pursue excellence without the distractions of failure. This is why we look to experts and Carl Rogers’ concept of “fully functioning persons” as models to emulate.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
- [Neurons] 2024 Neurons #47 REVERSING FAILIURE DOES NOT EQUAL EXPERTISE by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
