The Institute of Brilliant Failures aims to promote a positive attitude towards failures. Take a risk, make a mistake, and learn from your experiences: this attitude is becoming increasingly important in our society. By Paul Iske and Bas Ruyssenaars
Many of us behave in a risk adverse fashion because we feel that the negative consequences of failure are more important than the potential rewards of success. The fears of losing our job, of risking bankruptcy, and of stepping into the unknown are greater than the recognition, status and fulfilment which would come should our initiative be successful. Our reluctance to ‘stick our neck out’ is reinforced by the negative way in which failures are viewed by the world around us. And when things are going ok, why would we take that risk? Pero, e importansia di eksperimentá i tuma riesgo – ku kisas ta asta mas grandi den e tempu ekonómiko turbulento aki – no mester wòrdu subestimá. Sino mediokridat lo dominá! Suponé ku bo a pone bo mes e meta di haña un ruta di komersio mas lihé pa Lejano Oriente. Bo ta organisá patrosinio pa bo biahe, i sòru pa bo tin e mihó barkunan i tripulashon disponibel na e momentu ei, i a nabegá den un direkshon Oksidental for di e kosta portugues. Pero, en bes di yega Lejano Oriente bo ta deskubrí un kontinente deskonosí. Meskos ku Columbus, si bo bai mas leu ku e límitenan di loke ta konosí anto hopi bia bo ta hasi deskubrimentunan inesperá. Progreso i renobashon ta inseparabelmente ligá ku eksperimentashon i tumamentu di riesgo – i ku e posibilidat di frakaso. Dom Pérignon had to work his way through thousands of ‘exploding bottles’ before he could successfully bottle champagne. And Viagra would not have been discovered if Pfizer had not shown determination in their long search for a medicine to treat a very different condition, angina. The world in which we live is characterised by an ever increasing pace of change and complexity: in many areas of life we are in the middle of massive shifts, such as the emergence of new economic and political powers, and climate change. At the same time, primarily as a result of the Internet, our globally connected world is getting smaller. The old ‘barriers’ of distance, time and money are disappearing, ku e resultado ku tur hende por partisipá na interkambio di idea i na kompetensia. Globalmente, kompetensia den e áreanan di konosementu, ideanan i servisionan, ku ta di importansia kresiente den nos ekonomianan, ta intensifiká. Den e ambiente aki mediokridat lo no ta sufisiente. Michael Eisner, eks CEO van The Walt Disney Company tabata konvensí ku e kastigu di frakaso semper lo kondusí na mediokridat, argumentando ku: “mediokridat ta loke hende ku miedu semper ta konformá kuné”. Den kòrtiku, e importansia di un aktitut mas positivo pa ku tumamentu di riesgo, eksperimentashon, i durf di faya, ta kresiendo. Un aktitut asina ta bira mas relevante ainda ora nos realisá i aseptá ku e kambionan masivo menshoná ariba ta kompañá pa insertidumbrenan kresiente. According to strategy management guru Igor Ansoff these uncertainties limit the possibilities for both individuals and organisations to plan ahead. As uncertainty grows, so does the need for what he calls ‘proactive flexibility’: the capability to think and act before others do, and the ability to deal with the unexpected developments and changes in our environment. To find our way in these turbulent times we need to learn to ‘navigate’ rather than to control and to manage – and these skills are developed by experimentation, by making mistakes, and by learning from them. E kambionan i desaroyonan delineá ariba ta kompañá pa un kantidat kresiente di hende ku ta interkambiá e seguridat di un kontrato di trabou ku un organisashon pa un karera komo empresario, optando pa mas fleksibilidat, libertat i riesgonan. Den 2007 Kámara di Komersio di Hulanda a registrá un kantidat rèkòrt di 100.000 ‘starternan’ nobo. Y e Sindicatonan Hulandes ta pronostica cu e cantidad di esnan cu ta independiente lo crece for di 550.000 den 2006 pa 1 mion na 2010. Aunke un kantidat kresiente di individuonan ta tumando e paso aki, hopi bia nan ta wòrdu konfrontá ku inkomprenshon bou di esnan rònt di nan si nan movementu no ta wòrdu rekompensá mesora. E meta di e Instituto di Frakasonan Briante ta pa promové un aktitut positivo pa ku frakaso. Den e konteksto aki e término ‘briante’ ta referí na un esfuerso serio pa logra algu, pero ku a kondusí na un resultado diferente i e oportunidat pa siña – esfuersonan inspirativo ku meresé mas ku desdén i e stigma di frakaso. E Instituto di Frakasonan Briante ta un idea di Dialogonan, un inisiativa di ABN-AMRO. Dialogues su mishon ta pa stimulá pensamentu i komportashon empresarial no solamente den e komunidat empresarial pero den sosiedat en general, den tur ku por kontribuí na kambia nos aktitutnan pa ku ‘erornan’. Hasidónan di polítika, legisladornan, i gerensia haltu por kontribuí dor di rasionalisá regulashonnan i dor di garantisá ku e implikashonnan negativo di frakaso ta wòrdu remplasá pa un insentivo positivo pa ‘saka un hende su nek afó’. E medionan di komunikashon por hunga un ròl den informá e efektonan positivo di ‘frakaso’. I kada un di nos por kontribuí dor di krea mas ‘espasio’ pa tumamentu di riesgo i empresario den nos ambiente inmediato, i ta mas reseptivo pa ku ‘erornan’. E intoleransia ulandes pa ku frakaso ‘briante’ ta wòrdu ilustrá riba e wèpsait di e Instituto dor di esnan ku a eksperensiá esaki di promé man. Despues ku e kompania di Internet di Michiel Frackers, Bitmagic, a frakasá na Hulanda, Kompanianan ku sede na Merka a ofresé un kantidat di posishon atraktivo. Frackers: "Por ehèmpel, e posishon di Direktor Gerente Europa na Google. Pero mi no a haya ningun oferta di companianan Hulandes. Na Merka e reakshon tabata…Bon! Awor bo tin un tiki sanger riba bo nanishi… Tur hende ta bisa ku bo ta siña mas di bo frakasonan ku di bo éksitonan. Pero, parse ku na Hulanda, nos no ke men esei realmente”. Hopi ‘frakaso briante’ ta nase den e liñanan di e deskubrimentu di Merka di Columbus. E ‘inventor’ ta trahando riba un problema i pa suerte – òf mihó bisa serendipity – ta haña un solushon pa un otro problema. Pa esun ku tabata trahando riba e problema inisial, i ken ta konfrontá ku resultadonan inesperá, hopi bia – pero no semper – ‘difísil’ pa mira un aplikashon direkto pa e resultadonan di nan trabou – p.e.. pa mira e balor den nan ‘frakaso’. Pero un frakaso briante no semper mester kondusí na un éksito inesperá. The learnings may be hidden in the failure itself. Den 2007 ‘socially responsible’ Dutch entrepreneur Marcel Zwart started developing an electric-powered delivery van for use in inner cities. The introduction of this type of vehicle would significantly improve the air quality in urban centres with a high traffic density. Ademas, he planned to use young local unemployed people with technical qualifications in the production process. He secured the necessary initial capital, the technology was ‘market-ready’, and market research in the Netherlands and abroad indicated that there was significant sales potential. Pero, despite all of this, he is struggling to move the project forwards: investors still see too many risks, the government do not consider the technology ‘proven’ and in order to qualify for subsidies he needs to finance the project with 50-70% from other sources. These factors, together with the complex regulations, have created a vicious circle and the project has come more or less to a standstill. Zwart: “I have learnt how important it is never to underestimate how difficult it is for people to look at a project from a broader perspective, to look beyond their own immediate interests. This type of project needs an integrated approach from day one – and that is an essential point for independent entrepreneurs. That said, the introduction of this type of vehicle is nearer by, and if we can revive the initiative, nos a kaba di dal un kantidat signifikante di stap den e direkshon korekto…” (artíkulo tradusí NRCNext 07/10/08)
