---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michelle Smith <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 8:49 PM Subject: Harnessing the power of failure To: [email protected] Dear Michel Last month, our bulletin quoted from one of our publications, *Ten Things To Do In A Conceptual Emergency*: *It is possible to face up to challenge and grow with and through it. Changed circumstances can be seized as opportunities for creative engagement and, rather than generating resistance, generate a step change in learning and growth.* This philosophy of looking for opportunities within challenges also underpins our new book, *The Failure Files*. Too often, the word ‘failure’ signals an end point or a final judgement. We are afraid that admitting to mistakes would be to admit to failure in general. This happens in our personal lives, but also to figures in public life, to workers in organisations and to governments (just think of the inconsistencies inherent in the Prime Minister’s statement that the banks are ‘too big to fail’). *How can we – as individuals, groups and societies – acknowledge our mistakes, and turn the challenges of failure into a process of learning, growth and, ultimately, success?* *The Failure Files *is a series of essays that grew out of an RSA project formed in 2009 with the aim of providing a platform from which to explore the power of failure. The book and the project bring together leaders from very different areas of expertise to discuss how the concept of failure operates on many levels. They remind us how important failure is for achievement, and particularly for creativity, innovation and building adaptive and sustainable systems. As David Hillson, the book’s editor and leading thinker/practitioner in risk management, writes: *We must have a healthy respect for failure, in the same way we might have for other powerful forces of nature. And, as with those forces, we should be willing to harness that power to achieve more for society.* To read more about *The Failure Files*, its contents, the authors and their areas of expertise, visit *the book’s page on our website<http://www.triarchypress.com/pages/The-Failure-Files.htm> * SPECIAL OFFER ~ A FURTHER 25% DISCOUNT ON ALL TITLES ~ ENTER CODE NL25 AT THE TRIARCHY PRESS CHECKOUT ~ The *Red Stripe* innovation project at *The Economist *was perceived by many at the time as a failure, at least in its task to produce a workable new web-based product. However, the insights afforded by the project into teamwork, innovation, customer internet usage, marketing etc. are invaluable for companies and institutions of all types and sizes. Our colleague Andrew Carey was invited to watch the process unfold, and his observations were later published in the book *Inside Project Red Stripe*. Considering failure from a new perspective, what is most striking about the book is Andrew's implicit recognition that the mistakes, misjudgements and errors the project team made along the way were, in many ways, the project's strongest assets. The book is loosely structured, as a series of essays or themed diary entries, but what provides its focus are the lists of 'Dilemmas' that appear at the end of most sections. Asking reflective and poignant questions, sometimes making humorous observations, often relating specific problems to wider themes, what are these dilemmas but vital learning opportunities? And wouldn't the real failure be to fail to revisit them? Read more about Project Red Stripe here<http://www.triarchypress.co.uk/pages/book15.htm> ------------------------------- *About Triarchy Press* Triarchy Press <http://www.triarchypress.co.uk/pages/triarchy.htm> is an independent publisher of books and pamphlets, focusing on organisations, how they work and the way we work in them. [email protected] ~ www.triarchypress.com <http://www.triarchypress.com/pages/The-Failure-Files.htm> *About the RSA and its 'Glory of Failure' project* When the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) was established over 250 years ago it was conceived as 'a cradle of enlightenment thinking'. Today the RSA is powerful force for social progress, committed to removing the barriers to that progress. What could be a larger barrier than a fear of failure? The Glory of Failure project started with a hypothesis: Failure, at its heart, is a personal thing. By shining light on the stories of those people who have experienced failure and emerged stronger for that experience, we might, in our own small way, be able to chip away at our collective fear of failure. <http://www.triarchypress.co.uk/pages/book15.htm> *Andrew Carey *has spent his working life in publishing, and the last five years with us at Triarchy. He edits, promotes and writes books that approach the subject of organisational learning from new, interesting and sometimes quirky perspectives. In addition to Project Red Stripe, he co-authored *Systems Thinking for Curious Managers *with Russ Ackoff. 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