Failing or learning?

After thousands of ‘failed’ attempts at inventing the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison famously told a reporter, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Failure is not a concept our society readily embraces. We see it as something to be ashamed of. What Edison’s response teaches us is that failure is actually an opportunity to learn, an integral part of innovation and discovery. Something to embrace rather than shy away from.

Fear of failure is something many professionals experience, including dental professionals. This is particularly true in the current landscape, where many professionals are thinking about moving away from relying on NHS contracts, and instead running private or plan-based practices. This is a big change, and as such, fear of failure may rear its head for many reasons. Maybe they are reliant on a large NHS contract and are uncertain about what will happen without it. Perhaps the dental team is resistant to change, or maybe they have tried to implement change in the past and haven’t succeeded.