One of life's biggest challenge is learning to deal with failure. Jasper explores tendencies for failure as compared to success. He addresses the value of recognizing failure and next steps to move on. Originally delivered by Jasper at the Four Corners Professional Development Conference in Farmington, NM USA

1. +
Failure: What Next?
JasperWelch, DurangoSpace +
4 Corners Management Systems
Failure: Leaving or Learning?
10/8/15
www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October
2015

2. +
How to deal with Failure? What Next?
Overcoming the challenges of Failure & figuring out what to
do next? Do I leave (and run) or reflect (and learn)?
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

3. +
Concrete Strategies: Ways to Deal
with Failure & What’s Next?
n In life, we all face risk, challenges & potential failure…
n Personal, Family, Professional, Moral, Financial, Civic Risks*
*Life challenges ahead: To go over, through, around or wait?
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

4. +
Failure according to Whom?
(Who decided you failed? Or became a failure?)
n Areas of life engagement: personal,
professional, civic, family, financial –
you may fail in any of these areas.
n Who decides? The community, your
peers, your family, your boss, your
family, yourself? Perception vs reality
n We can’t eliminate all risk or failure,
but with a process we can reflect,
learn from failure & move forward.
n Successful approaches to what next?
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

5. +
Active Approach to Overcoming
Challenges & Failures…
Active approaches to overcoming failure…Keid Jensen, Forbes writer
1) Listen Actively
2) Thinking Critically
3) Communicating Transparently
4) Owning the results, of both successes & failures
5) Influencing others, including the supporters and critics
6) Negotiating a favorable outcome
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

6. +
Prior to failure, any Strategies?
Can Failure be Managed, Avoided or Minimized?
n Perfect is the Enemy of Good: In many cases, doing a good job and achieving a good result
works well. Perfection can be an excellent goal, but may not be realistic.
n Your Advisory Network: Many failures can be attributed to “going it alone” without advice &
good counsel. Who is part of your advisory network? Who do you need to ad as an advisor?
n Feedback is a Gift: In life, personally and professional we get all sorts of feedback. Do you
receive, reject or dismiss feedback? Do you welcome or ignore the messengers?
n Learning involves Failure: Remember learning a challenging sport, musical instrument, or
learning a new skill? You had to overcome failures along the way to becoming competent.
n Peer Review: Advisory Networks, Mentors & Coaching
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015
Risk of Failure in life, be it personal, professional, or in
community service cannot be completely eliminated!

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Feedback, Focus, & Failure
Processes for Learning from Success & Failure
n Positive & Negative Modeling & Feedback: How have others you know
handled failure well? Not so well? You ability or dis-ability to deal w- failure?
n Focus: It is all to easy to look back and remain stuck after a failure. Focus on
the future, how to change, and what is next. Focus is a differentiator!
n Rest, Read & Reflect: Take time out to rest, read & reflect as you face failure.
n Ownership vs.Victim: Owning your part of the failure.
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015
Feedback & focus: gathering feedback and learning to
focus on reinventing and retraining following a failure.

8. +
Tendencies for Failure & Success
“Failure Markers” & “Success Factors”
n Failure Markers?
1) Thinking that being lucky is the
same as being good or skilled
2) Poor (just bad) judgment
3) Lack of people skills
4) Ignoring feedback & advice
5) Failing to pivot or change
6) Lacking mentors or advisors
n Success Factors?
1. Taking time to learn skills &
realizing where you need more
2. Willingness to learn from those
wiser than you (coach-ability)
3. People skills, including empathy
4. Flexibility to be able to pivot &
adapt to change & feedback
5. Building an advisory network
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

9. +
Being Stuck following Failure
Value of recognizing failure & Moving On.
n Being Stuck after Failure…
1. Struggling to let go of what others
did, as compared to what you can do
differently in the future
2. Failure To Implement (FTI): Lots of
ideas, but lack of action.
3. Name & Blame Loop: It’s everyone
else’s fault, but not mine.
4. Unwillingness to accept feedback
n My Next Success Milestones
1. Creating your mentor & advisory
network, that is actively involved
2. Action planning & implementation,
trying again, moving forward
3. Reflecting on what you can do
differently to achieve better outcomes
4. Taking personal responsibility, making
the necessary changes, owning the
outcomes
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

10. +
What is the Value of Failure?
(Assessing Risk & Preparing for Possible Failure)
n Assessment of potential risk
and your role(s) in outcomes.
n Using both previous & present
feedback loops and metrics as
markers (FTI, FTL) & milestones
(SF=success factors)
n Utilizing mentors (creating your
advisory networks) that address
FTI & FTL head on.
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015

11. +
What Questions do you Have?
(About Reducing Risk & Addressing Possible Failure)
n Resources
n Books
n Advisory Networks
n Failure to Implement (FTI)
n Failure to Launch (FTL)
n Blaming Others
10/8/15www.jasperwelch.org – 4CC October 2015