It's one experience to fail at something in the comfort of your home or office, and it's another to experience public failure--the kind of failure that everyone knows about. If you're open to new experiences and put yourself out there, you will experience both private failure and public failure. And there's something to be learned by both.
Recently I experienced a small scale public failure--it wasn't any big deal, no one got hurt, and all intentions were good. In fact, the failure was so small that probably few to none noticed it. I noticed it, however, and I am thinking about what I learned.
The lesson in this small failure lie in the area of sensitivity to others--really making the time to listen to and hear another's perspective, needs, and interests. To rush an event, situation, or decision may mean that you miss some important information or act without needed sensitivity. Slowing down, taking more time to think deeply about what you are doing and why you are doing it will mainly result in better, more satisfying results. This all connects to the old adage, haste makes waste.
This is an apt time to review this lesson as it's the first time in my life that I do have more time, and with this time, I hope to work on that sensitivity and taking more time to complete tasks with greater depth and care. I am looking forward to this deeper effort, but I know it won't mean that I will never experience public failure again--that happens.
A family member actually experienced similar failure recently. I listened to this sensitive and caring family member share his story. Like me all intentions were good, but he let the situation get away from him, and in the end, what made him the most upset was that he wished he dealt with the situation with greater sensitivity and time. And like me, he learned a valuable lesson too.
We're always learning in life through experiences great and small, and if we take the time to reflect on those experiences, the lessons will result in a richer, more fulfilling life for ourselves and those we work with too.