Fail Quickly Fail Small

This statement by Rekitt Benckiser (RB) CEO Bert Becht caught my attention when I was browsing through the recent edition of Harvard Business review.

Although the context there was different, but I’m putting this into our life in general. When I retrospect, I realize, all the winning moments made me proud and I moved ahead in life with laughter on my face and cheer in my heart. I hardly remember anytime I sat and tried to figure out, despite the win, were there any flaws.

Success doesn’t equate perfection. On countless occasions we succeed and it’s very common to get blinded to the flaws.

Failure is painful, troubling, sometimes embarrassing and many times disheartening but it gives a scope to remove the flaws, reconsider the plan, rethink the idea and rewrite the history. After the failure, we are challenged, excited and thrilled and ready to outdo to reclaim the victory.

Bert further adds, “Failure is actually a huge incentive, because people get so personally competitive that they work even faster for the next success.”

How true? However, failing small is better than a titanic failure and failing quickly is better than a after the war failure. When the stakes are low, the failure leads to challenge. But, on a high stake, it results in frustration.

This reminds me of recent Toyota fiasco, which has shattered its image and shaken its profitability. What if its Prius had failed at quality testing?