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. 当事情進展順利時, 我哋做乜嘢要冒呢個險呢？? 然而, 實驗和承擔風險嘅重要性-喺呢個動盪嘅經濟時期，啲甚至可能仲大 – 不應被低估. 否則平庸將佔主導地位! 假設您為自己設定了目標，即找到一條通往遠東的更快貿易路線. 你為您的航行組織贊助, 並確保你當時擁有最好嘅船隻和船員, 並由葡萄牙海岸向西航行. 然而, 你冇到達遠東，而是發現咗一個未知嘅大陸. 就好似哥倫布一樣, 如果你超越咗已知事物嘅界限，咁你經常會做出意想不到嘅發現。. Progress and renewal are inextricably linked with experimentation and risktaking – and with the possibility of failure. 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, with the result that everyone can participate in the exchange of ideas and in competition. Globally, competition in the areas of knowledge, ideas and services, which are of increasing importance in our economies, is intensifying. In this environment mediocrity will not be sufficient. Michael Eisner, former CEO van The Walt Disney Company was convinced that the punishment of failure will always lead to mediocrity, arguing that: “mediocrity is what fearful people always settle for”. In short, the importance of a more positive attitude towards risk-taking, experimentation, and daring to fail, is growing. 当我们意識到並接受上述巨大轉變伴隨住越嚟越多嘅不塙定性時，呢種態度變得更加重要。. 根據戰略管理大師伊戈尔·安索夫（ Igor Ansoff ）嘅講法，呢啲不塙定性限制咗個人同組織提前計劃嘅可能性。. 隨著不塙定性嘅增加, 對佢所謂嘅桎梏主動靈活性桎梏嘅需求也是如此。: 喺人哋之前思考和行動嘅能力, 以及處理我哋環境中意估唔到嘅發展同變化嘅能力. 為咗喺呢啲動盪嘅時代搵到自己嘅方式，我哋需要學會“導航”，而唔係控制同打理-呢啲技能係透過實驗發展起身嘅。, 透過犯錯誤, 並透過向佢哋學習. The shifts and developments outlined above are accompanied by an increasing number of people who are trading the security of an employment contract with an organisation for a career as entrepreneur, opting for more flexibility, freedom and risks. 係 2007 the Dutch Chamber of Commerce registered a record number of 100.000 new ‘starters’. And the Dutch Trade Unions forecast that the numbers of those who are selfemployed will grow from 550.000 係 2006 to 1 million in 2010. Although an increasing number of individuals are taking this step, they are often confronted by incomprehension amongst those around them if their move is not immediately rewarded. The goal of the Institute of Brilliant Failures is to promote a positive attitude towards failure. In this context the term ‘brilliant’ refers to a serious effort to achieve something, but which led to a different outcome and the opportunity to learn – inspirational efforts which deserve more than disdain and the stigma of failure. The Institute of Brilliant Failures is a brainchild of Dialogues, an initiative of ABN-AMRO. Dialogues’ mission is to stimulate entrepreneurial thinking and behavior not only in the business community but in society at large, in all who can contribute towards changing our attitudes towards ‘mistakes’. Policy makers, legislators, and top management can contribute by streamlining regulations and by ensuring that the negative implications of failure are substituted by a positive incentive to ‘stick one’s neck out’. 媒體可以喺報道“失敗”嘅積極副產品和影響方面發揮作用。. 我哋個個都可以透過喺直接環境中為冒險和創業創造更多嘅桎梏空間唻嚟做出貢獻。, 並且更容易接受唻錯誤唻. 荷蘭人對“輝煌”失敗嘅唔容忍喺研究所嘅網站上由嗰啲親身經歷過嘅人說明。. 喺Michiel Frackers嘅互聯網公司Bitmagic喺荷蘭失敗之後, 美國公司為佢提供咗好多有吸引力嘅位. 弗拉克斯: 噉 例如, 穀謌歐洲區董事總經理一職. 但我冇收到荷蘭公司嘅任何報價. 喺美國，反應係…好! 而家你嘅鼻子上有一點血… 個個都話，你由失敗中學到嘅嘢比由成功中學到嘅更多。. 然而, 似乎喺荷蘭, 我哋並不昰真的想的桎梏. 好多“輝煌嘅衰”都係根據哥倫布發現美洲嘅路線誕生嘅。. 占發明家枰正在研究一個問題，並且透過運氣-抑或更好嘅話係偶然性-搵到咗另一個問題嘅解決方案. 對於正在處理初始問題的人, 以及邊個面對意想不到嘅結果, 它經常-但並非成日 – 徜徉好難徜徉睇到佢哋工作結果嘅直接應用-即. 以查看其“失敗”中嘅價值. 但是，輝煌嘅失敗並不總是帶來意想不到嘅成功得。. The learnings may be hidden in the failure itself. 係 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. In addition, 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. 然而, 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, we have already taken a significant number of steps in the right direction…" (translated article NRCNext 07/10/08)
