Flipping a Mistake into a Gift

Enterprising home improvement leaders can take a run-down house with many design mistakes and flip it into a home that buyers bid on. Hard working chefs can look at a fallen cake and flip it into a dessert masterpiece. Crafty artisans can purchase a rusty furniture piece at a flea market and flip it into a sought after living room accent table. Innovative business leaders can take over a broken down organization and bring it back to life. How do these leaders have the ability to transform an utter mistake into a desirable product or organization? They are all able to move past the mistake and visualize an opportunity. To flip a mistake into a gift leaders must visualize an opportunity.

Ready to flip a mistake into a gift?

Put Your Vision Into High Gear

When leading a transformation of a dysfunctional product or organization, it is important to begin with a vision. Try to imagine how to redesign or change the current broken product or situation. Visioning how the altered product or company will look and feel helps leaders pinpoint the direction they want to move in. If you have a difficult time conjuring up a big picture for a change then ask others to join in on this reflective piece. Just remember that without a clear visionit is impossible to begin the flip.

Brainstorm Possible Alternatives

After we have a vision in place it is time to brainstorm the different solutions that may need to be considered. The benefit of brainstorming is that it allows many ideas to be shared, even those that initially seem outrageous. Any problem solving strategy needs time to evaluate all of the prospective choices available. A solid brainstorming session involves:
  • Tons of ideas and suggestions being thrown out.
  • No judgment as to whether things will definitely work.
  • Massive creative thinking; the crazier the better.
  • Keeping roadblocks out of reach.
  • Writing down all the possibilities on a white board.
  • Devise A Clear Plan Of Action

    Once all the ideas have been shared, hashed out, evaluated and chosen, it is time to develop a focused plan of attack. Choosing the best steps to make a change could impact your timeframe to complete the transformation. A faulty plan without specific procedures can result in a tremendous amount of misunderstandings. For example, if a team has been struggling with being more inclusive, all team members must be made aware of the new steps. In one case a leader who wanted to face diversity straight on decided to have members share their different cultural backgrounds once a month. Everyone was clear on the day they were responsible for bringing in items, food or even stories about their culture. The whole team feel became a gift of learning and acceptance. A focused plan of action can help a team flip a mistake into a gift. CLICK TO TWEET

    Promote The Gift

    A promising transformation is only as good as the sale of it. If you are redoing a product that has been worn-out or changing a failed performance management system for your company, the key to its success is rolling out its advantages and exciting characteristics. In the promotion make sure to explain:
  • Why the change was necessary.
  • The upgraded benefits to the customers using the transformed product or service.
  • How the transformation will be a gift and opportunity for everyone.
  • What other ways have you flipped a mistake into a gift?