One of my favorite soapboxes is the importance of failure to our learning and growth. It’s a lesson that somehow feels joyful, and it pops up in the most unexpected places. A few weeks ago, it popped up in a 60 Minutes segment on robotics company Boston Dynamics.
One of the lead engineers for a dog-like robot called Spot discussed the advancements in and uses of AI for their robot, and the segment host started to question the engineer on how much time his team had invested in helping Spot learn to complete simple tasks like opening a door.
“Each time we add some new capability and we feel like we've got it to a decent point, that's when you push it to failure to figure out, you know, how good of a job you've really done.”
- Kevin Blankespoor
What strikes me about that statement is that pushing Spot to failure was an intentional part of the process. Failure wasn't simply something to be dealt with if it occurred. The engineers expected and wanted Spot to fail so they could learn how Spot was functioning. Put differently, failure was a useful benchmark because it showed where Spot needed improvement, and just as importantly, where Spot was strongest.
So how does this apply outside of robotics? In our everyday lives, I hope this is a gentle reminder that failure doesn't define you, nor is it a death knell. As employees and leaders, it’s helpful to think of your failures as procedural steps towards success. And from the perspective of a manager, make sure your employees know that you expect them to fail occasionally and you will help them turn those failures into improvements for your company, product, or service.
On a personal level, I’m learning from my failures right now because I'm job hunting. I have always been a determined person, and gumption is not something I lack. This job hunt has been teaching me that while I might have plenty of gumption elsewhere, I could definitely use a booster shot for those traits when it comes to pursuing a job at a new company. I think it's tied to the discouragement of the constant rejections you get as a job seeker; it's hard not to get caught up in imposter syndrome. So I'm spending some time with that knowledge and trying to reconnect with my spunkier, stubborn self who looks for creative backdoors in networking and who isn't scared to make a strategic lateral or downwards move.
Side note: if you're a fellow curious nerd, please enjoy learning more about Spot and Boston Dynamics at the links below. But you really should start with the 60 Minutes segment at the top of the page because you get to see a whole bunch of robots dancing. It's adorable!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6_azdBnAlU (jump to 10:30 for a specific section on what happened when Spot failed)
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