This question frequently causes us to become uncomfortable and want to remain silent because we are unsure of how to respond to it. Therefore, this article provides 4 tips to help you talk about your failures in a way that demonstrates your flexibility and how the experience has developed you.
Choose a Real Failure Experience
The best response you can give when asked to describe a failure experience is to discuss a genuine and honest experience; do not invent a story or deny that you have failed in the past (since this is impossible). Remember that people are very good at spotting lies, so being honest—especially when it comes to owning up to your errors or shortcomings—is generally valued and can win you more respect from others.
Then, discuss how you handled the failure and use it as a chance for personal growth. In other words, discuss the lesson you took away, how this helped in your growth, and how it helped you develop your potential.
Remember to tell the other person that you have succeeded by sharing a genuine experience. Then, focus on how you overcame the failure. This story can be used as an example: “I was working on a project/task in the company/during an occasion (mention the company name or specify the occasion) in (mention the date of the incident) despite my best efforts, (a specific failure occurred), which led to (negative impact/consequences). However, I looked at it as a learning opportunity, and I did (explain how you overcame the failure).”
Step-By-Step Application of This Tip
The first step involves selecting a genuine failure experience that you have been through, as it should be real and impactful. Remember that everyone has failed at some point, so admitting your mistakes can increase your credibility with others.
In case you struggle to remember such an incident, keep these four points in mind:
1. It Should Be Relevant
Your failure story should be relevant to the context of the situation. For example, in a marketing job interview, mentioning your marketing campaign failure story is better than skipping your friend's birthday.
2. It Should Be Impactful
Choose a story that led to serious consequences, such as missing a deadline or losing a potential client.
3. It Should Include a Learning Opportunity
Your story should include a positive aspect that motivates your personal or professional development, such as re-evaluating your priorities due to failure or working on acquiring new skills.
4. It Should Be Recent
Distant past failure stories are still relevant. However, more recent stories are more convincing because they show your ability to adapt and learn your personal or professional current stage.
Be Precise
While it may seem better to avoid exposing your weaknesses and to keep some embarrassing details out of your story, remember that vague and general answers do not impress anyone, so be precise.
Provide all the information; thorough stories are more appealing and compelling. Describe everything that happened, who was involved, and the conclusion.
Here is an example of a vague story: "We were working on a project, but it didn't meet its goals because of some delays and misunderstandings. Although we didn't succeed in the project as planned, we took the lessons we learned and applied our knowledge to future projects."
Here is an example of a precise failure story: “Two years ago, I led a team of 5 members in a software development project for a key client. The goal was to add a new feature to the client's website within 3 months. In the second month of work, one of the developers had to take emergency leave, resulting in delays in two crucial stages of the project.”
Share the Story in Less Than a Minute
Try to share your story within 30 to 60 seconds. Talking too much about your shortcomings can make you uncomfortable or make others doubt your abilities. However, excessive abbreviations may make you tell a vague and unclear story.
Clarify How You Turned the Experience into a Self-Development Opportunity
This may be the most important part of the process. After talking about one of your failure experiences, immediately explain what you learned from the experience and how it helped you grow. Also, don't forget to tell others how you handled the situation, as people love interesting recovery stories.
Tips for an Impactful Answer
- Be Brief: Be concise yet precise at the same time.
- Identify the Gap: Specify the exact mistake that occurred.
- Discuss the Consequences of failure: Explain the experience's effects.
- Discuss the Positives: Most importantly, describe how you learned or evolved from this experience.
Practical Storytelling
In (year/time frame), I was working on (project/task) at (company name), and despite my best efforts, (specific failure occurred), which led to (outcome). However, I dealt with it as a learning opportunity and (explain what you did to recover).
Examples
1. At Work
Let's say you are interviewing for a project management position, and the interviewer asks you, "Tell me about a time when you failed."
You Can Answer:
“In 2021, I led a team to launch a new software feature at (company name). We underestimated the task, which caused us to be two weeks behind schedule despite our planning. This led to a delay in product launch and a loss of about 5% of the expected revenue for the project, which was supposed to take three months. However, I took this failure seriously and attended a project management training course. Also, I started using new project tracking tools. Ever since, I've consistently finished my projects on schedule and under budget.”
2. In a Social Occasion
Imagine you are at a social gathering, and someone asks you to talk about a time when you failed.
You Can Answer
“Two years ago, I organized a charity event. I was passionate about raising donations for charity, but I failed to achieve 60% of the target. This affected the charity's programs that year. However, I learned how crucial it is to set achievable goals and interact better with the community. The following year, we as a charity raised 20% more money than we had hoped.”
In Conclusion
People will keep asking you about your failures—sometimes just for small talk, out of curiosity, or to see how you handle failure. It is essential to provide an attractive and convincing answer, but most importantly, your answer should be honest. Remember that showing your vulnerability sincerely makes people like you, particularly when you share how you used your experience to teach and grow.
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