How to Take Ownership

This exercise is intended for individual or team sales agents as a way to practice and reinforce learning. Incorporate this practice into your day and, if possible, into your ongoing sales work. This practice shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes a day. Keep it simple. Good luck and have fun!

Introduction: Once, when asked in an interview whether he is a player who loves to win or a player who hates to lose, the late and great Kobe Bryant responded with the following: neither. He then goes on to explain that he plays basketball in order to figure things out and in order to learn, and that, in his opinion, there is no such thing as failure. You can watch the 4-minute interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8OfeEL4jI

Instructions for: “Failure does not exist”

Step 1: Take 10-15 minutes out of your day for this reflection practice. Ideally you’ll be alone and have some quiet space for yourself for the first part of this exercise.

Step 2: Imagine that you are in a classroom in a different world where there are no grades for getting the “right” answer. It doesn’t matter how many children answer that 1 + 1 = 2, the teacher doesn’t care. She does however observe and evaluate her students. She evaluates you and your peers based on how much you learn - especially on what you learn from the things that go “wrong”, the things that don’t go according to plan. Take a minute to really imagine yourself in this kind of non-judgmental setting where your sole objective as a student is to gain as much experience as possible. This is the classroom where failure does not exist.

Step 3: Now, take a moment to think about the 'You' that you manage every day back on planet Earth (where judgment and right/wrong are rampant). What recent, challenging event has been pulling you down and causing you shame or guilt because you feel that you have “failed”? Make note of the feelings you associate with the event. Take time to reflect on this event from the perspective of your new classroom where failure does not exist. What have you learned about yourself in this challenging event? What have you learned about human dynamics and relationships as a consequence of this event? What have you learned about business and/or your industry?

Step 4: Continue probing your experience deeper. Can you honestly say that at the time of this event (and with the knowledge and capacities that you had at the time) that you did your very best? If yes, can you then forgive yourself that the result was different than you had planned for, and make a plan to try again? If no, how soon can you talk to your team members in order to come clean and admit that you made a mistake and commit to doing better next time? Sit with this experience and make note of everything, big and small, that you have learned. If any feelings of heaviness, shame or sadness persist, you can also ask yourself: “What would bring me ease in this situation”?

Step 5: After your recent trip to the classroom where failure does not exist, you are eager to share what you've learned. Make note of at least 1 person close to you in your personal or professional life with whom you want to share your learning. Make a note of sharing this with them as soon as possible. If you need to come clean for a mistake on your part and take ownership of your “failure” and set up that meeting as soon as possible also. You will free up so much of your energy when you stop beating yourself up about the challenging event, learn what you can from it and move forward.

Goal for the week:
Monday: Work through the “failure does not exist” practice; remember to share about your learning and (if needed) to bring your team members together to take ownership of any mistakes on your part
Friday: How do you feel now after this practice? How are you planning your fresh approach to your challenging topic? Write down at least one, actionable item that you can do this week to move forward with your plan.