What do you do if your mentees are afraid to fail and resist embracing innovation?

With a supportive boss one who tolerates failure, or a corporate culture that does , sky is the limit. It makes it easy to try new ideas and fail forward.

When mentees: a. are afraid to fail: Do not display dismay. This is critical mentoring point! Demonstrate to them that fear of failure is universal - all presidential candidates have it! Reframe it and show them that fear of failure is evidence that they are ambitious. Narrate personal failure experiences and their effects. Share any self-made concepts you have generated to engage failure. b. Resist embracing innovation: People are often slow to embrace innovations by others but will do a lot to sell their innovations! Encourage them to be innovators in specific areas of their lives. A producer of innovation is a higher identity that a consumer of it. A producer of innovations is more likely to give the innovations of others a try.

You learn the most from failing, failing is essentially experience. The reason you are a mentor is you failed so much that you have the experience your mentees are trying to benefit from. Failure is not final, the goal is to fail, fail fast and course correct. The more you tie failure to ultimate success the better off you'll be.

Embracing failure is integral to fostering growth and innovation, a perspective I firmly endorse. From my standpoint, shifting the perspective on failure entails sharing personal experiences and highlighting how setbacks have contributed to learning and development. It's essential to convey that failure is not a reflection of inadequacy but an opportunity for resilience and growth. Encouraging mentees to set "learning goals" emphasizes the importance of gaining insights from experiences rather than solely focusing on outcomes. This approach normalizes failure as an expected part of the journey toward success, fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.

The unknown attracts and also scares.Key for the mentor is to boost the attraction and minimize the scare factor.Story telling of great Achievers and innovators like Edison who braved failures to achieve success would help.

Incentivar o mentee a procurar novas soluções para antigos problemas é uma forma interessante de ajudá-lo a normalizar os erros do processo. Todo profissional curioso sabe que vai cometer falhas e são exatamente essas falhas que vão conduzi-lo a inspiração para simplificar seu processo. Se ele sentir que terá o direcionamento do mentor nesta jornada, certamente poderá começar com mais conforto e segurança, até se sentir maduro para agir voluntariamente.

Model curiosity by asking them open ended questions that spark deeper thinking and exploration. This gets them used to questioning assumptions and seeking new information. Help them connect their curiosity to their goals and aspirations. Show how asking questions and exploring can lead them down paths to success. Find ways to make learning and exploration enjoyable. This could involve attending workshops, listening to podcasts, or even just having casual conversations about interesting topics.

Here are some strategies, examples or experiences: Lead by example about problem-solving: share stories of your own experiences with failure. Create a Safe Environment: Establish an atmosphere to take risks without fear of judgment or criticism. Set Realistic Expectations: Emphasize that failure is a natural part of the learning process - trial and error. Provide Supportive Feedback: focuses on progress and effort rather than solely on outcomes. Encourage Exploration: explore new ideas, approaches, and perspectives. Challenge Assumptions: question and consider alternative viewpoints. Foster Collaboration: spark creativity and inspire new ways of thinking. Celebrate Curiosity: Recognize and highlight examples of curiosity.

Encouraging curiosity not only helps mentees overcome their fear of failure but also fosters a culture of innovation and continuous learning. As a mentor, it's crucial to create a safe space where mentees feel comfortable asking questions, exploring new ideas, and making mistakes. This approach not only enhances their problem-solving skills but also builds resilience, which is key to navigating the challenges of the professional world.

Stories always have a way of hitting the heart. When staff are hesitant to try new things due to a rather high-level of risk, I try to come up with a story that I personally experienced sometime in my past. I personalize it which creates a safe environment. I share how I felt, what I learned, and the ultimate outcome. This helps people see challenges differently. The stories are actually fun and often times funny. Keep in mind, when the story is told, the staff are removed from the challenge, and they become 3d party to the event. This is safe learning.

Be a role model: Lead by example and demonstrate an innovative mindset yourself. Show your mentees that you are open to trying new ideas, embracing change, and learning from failures. Your actions can inspire and influence their own approach to innovation.

The fear of failure can be a crippling force, especially for those venturing into new territory. But the truth is, failure is an almost universal experience for successful innovators. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), faced rejection over 1000 times before finally franchising his recipe at the age of 62. His perseverance in the face of repeated setbacks is a testament to the power of belief in one's idea.

Sometimes your mentees need to see someone close to them fail. It does not have to be a famous successful innovator. This person can be you as a mentor. So do not try to be the perfect person in front of them. Embrace your mistakes and show them how you can make mistakes and fix them.

Lead by Example is the best way of mentoring. Practical cases of individual and organisation will always have an upper edge over the defined knowledge base and guidelines.

People often look down upon failure when these moments are growth opportunities. Through failure, we can learn by taking what worked and iterating what didn't to create a better outcome. If this mindset isn't something your mentee has been around before, they may need time to feel comfortable with failure. You can help them navigate this by offering support and providing relevant feedback.

To create a safe environment, we must open up communication and transparency. Without this, staff will not feel safe. They must see for themselves that they can complain if they have an alternate recommendation. Complaining for the sake of complaining is 'below the line' behavior and we frown on this . BUT, stating a situation or process that can be improved and then providing ways of improvement creates an infinity of space for staff and managers to grow. Listening to understand. Empowering and teamwork all play a critical role in creating a safe working environment.

Openly discuss your own experiences with taking risks and facing setbacks. Let your mentee know that failure is a natural part of the learning process. Acknowledge and celebrate even incremental progress. This keeps your mentee motivated and shows them that their efforts are recognized. Help your mentee develop strong critical thinking skills by guiding them to analyze their experiences. Ask questions that prompt them to reflect on what worked well, what could be improved, and what they learned.

É fundamental lembrar que o valor de alguém não está exclusivamente ligado aos seus sucessos. A disposição para experimentar coisas novas e aprender com os resultados é igualmente importante, senão mais. Cada experiência, seja um sucesso estrondoso ou um fracasso aparente, contribui para o crescimento pessoal e profissional. A disposição para sair da zona de conforto, tentar novas abordagens e aprender com os resultados é uma qualidade admirável que demonstra coragem, curiosidade e resiliência.

Darle seguridad a las personas es tal vez el punto mas critico para que se lences a probar ideas para lograr el gran impacto de la Innovación

Encouraging your mentee to reflect during times of failure can help them better understand what may have gone wrong and how they might avoid the same failure. Without thoughtful reflection, they may miss important growth opportunities.

I will share my experiences of failure and how I overcame that. Also, I was also hesitant in taking initiatives or new assignments because of failure. The mentee may not accept this instantly. I will have conversations on why are they afraid of and what could be the consequences of failure. I will support them in reflecting on their experiences of failures.. how it helped them.

Let your mentees know that failure is a common experience, even for successful people. Share stories of your own failures and how you learned from them. Instead of dwelling on the negative emotions of failure, encourage them to ask "what can I learn from this?" Help them identify areas for improvement and strategies for next time.

En todo proceso de Innovación a medida que vamos avanzando en el aprendizaje es importante después de cada paso detenerse y revisar cuales fueron las conclusiones y que acciones se pueden mejorar yendo para adelante

Reflecting on experiences, both successful and unsuccessful, is indeed a powerful tool. The reflection process not only helps mentees understand their actions and decisions but also fosters a growth mindset. It's important to note that failure should not be feared but viewed as a learning opportunity. In my experience, the most innovative ideas often emerge from the lessons learned from failure.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” - Paulo Coelho As a mentor, we need to reinstate the fact that success and failure are a part of the process. Being their mentor we could: 1. Listen to them, try to understand why they are afraid of failure, and why they are resisting to embrace innovation 2. Understand their definition of success and failure; help them in refining and redefining these definitions 3. Guide them on how they could gradually step out of their comfort zone 4. Ask them to visualize the best case and worst case scenarios and their reaction and ability to deal with them 5. Motivate them to take risk and provide your unwavering support irrespective of the outcomes/consequences

Being a supportive sounding board is a key role of a mentor. Relax into that role and enjoy it. Its an element that can be very rewarding.

To help #mentees, I built #patterns set I’m adapting. First, I normalize #mistakes by sharing personal #experiences and reframing them as #learning #opportunities. I encourage to take calculated #risks by suggesting #experiments with clear goals, and #celebrate. Furthermore, fostering a growth mindset through praising effort and progress can help to develop skills and challenge limiting beliefs. I used to showcase #innovation by sharing #success #stories, support mentees in #scouting #innovators, and highlighting positive outcomes coming with new ideas. Finally, I support #intuition as skill to work with uncertainty. By developing intuition, you learn to #adapt with innovation and #accept the #change, so the potential of #failure.

The advice above is all spot on. I would add one thing, and emphasise one other, something already raised. Add - to what extent do you, as the mentee, need to do some 'deep work' to get to the bottom of where your fear comes from? Don't settle for addressing symptoms. Let your mentor and performance coaches assist you to get below the surface, address 'history', face it, and find strength in looking back from now, seeing continuous improvement each year. Emphasise - self reflection. Personal insight. Knowing yourself. Mentees who truly want to succeed professionally, will possess the ability to see their own weaknesses and strengths, and act upon them. Accept that no-one is perfect, least of all you, and with learning comes improvement.

Como coach de negocios, he observado que una de las mayores limitaciones en las empresas radica en la mentalidad de los líderes y equipos de trabajo. Crear una mentalidad orientada al éxito y al aprendizaje es un desafío considerable. Por lo tanto, es crucial identificar las creencias que restringen nuestro rendimiento y, aún más importante, definir la mentalidad que deseamos en quienes integran nuestra empresa. Los líderes deben fomentar un entorno donde el miedo al fracaso sea reemplazado por la determinación de buscar soluciones y mejorar continuamente. Solo así se puede impulsar el éxito a largo plazo y mantener una ventaja competitiva en un mercado en constante cambio.