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Spiritual Bookshelf Episode 62 :How to Fail the Right Way - Foresee Potential Failure. Part 5

飛利浦 Phillip

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0:00 | 14:33

Hey everyone, hope you’ve been doing well this week.Welcome back to the show — I’m Phillip.

Today we’re continuing our series on the book “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well.”

We’re now in Chapter 3, and honestly, this chapter is super practical — because it talks about something we all face:

How do we reduce “complex failures”?

🌱 3. Complex Failures Are Usually Not About “People”… They’re About the System

Edmondson says that when complex failures happen, the biggest trap is to start pointing fingers. Someone messed up. Someone dropped the ball.

That’s what most people think. But the real solution comes from two things: Collaboration and Systems thinking

She offers five strategies — and these are incredibly useful not only at work, but in daily life.

✔ 1. Increase clarity across teams

✔ 2. Create a space where people feel safe to ask questions

 ✔ 3. Build cross-functional checkpoints

✔ 4. Use premortems (my favorite)

✔ 5. Accept that uncertainty is part of life

🌟 4. How to Apply “Complex Failure Thinking” in Your Own Life

It sounds academic, right?

But it’s actually super useful in real life.

I. In your personal life

💬 1. Admit that some failures aren’t anyone’s fault

Think about situations like: Family argument, Projects getting stuck

A lot of these are not caused by one person. They’re caused by multiple factors happening at the same time. Instead of asking “Who messed up?”, ask: “What factors were interacting here?” You’ll instantly feel calmer.

📌 2. List out all possible factors

Say you get into a conflict with your kid. It’s usually not just “the kid being stubborn.” It could be: Your mood, Their lack of sleep,  Time pressure

Seeing the full picture increases compassion —and gives you better solutions.

🧱 3. When life gets complicated, stop and check in

Ask yourself: “Is the situation still the same as when I started?”

This mid-course reflection is incredibly powerful. 

II. In family and partner relationships

One big lesson here is: ❌ Avoid saying “Why are you like this again?”

🧠 Three Human Instincts That Get in Our Way

1️⃣ The self-protection instinct

2️⃣ Cognitive biases (we all have them)

3️⃣ A fixed identity

If you strongly believe “I’m a smart person,”

you’ll avoid anything that might prove otherwise.

This leads to:

              •           Fear of mistakes

              •           Fear of feedback

              •           Slow growth

A “fixed identity” keeps us stuck.

That’s it for today

I hope this episode helps you see mistakes in a new way.

If you found it helpful, feel free to share it with someone who’s trying hard —

but maybe afraid of failing.

I’m Phillip.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.