Mean Time Between Failures, or MTBF, was once a prized metric of system reliability. In recent years, Mean Time To Resolution, or MTTR, has started to outshine Mean Time Between Failures in the push for reliability.
Why? The purpose of our systems is to deliver value. Increasing the amount of value created by your system requires change. And with every change comes the risk of failure. Focusing only on Mean Time Between Failures creates a perverse incentive to resist change, which limits the potential for growth and success. But if you can automate the detection of and recovery from systems failure through monitoring, auto-scaling, and self-healing, you can enable growth and success while minimizing the risk and potential impact of any failures.
Did you know that the same principle can apply to you personally as well?
As a leader in your organization, your responsibility is to deliver value. Every time you make a decision, you have the chance to be wrong – to fail. If, like most new leaders, you’re focused on prevention of failure, you’ll be tempted to avoid making decisions. And that approach will stall your growth and get in the way of success. But if you instead focus on a personal Mean Time To Resolution, you can afford to be wrong, because you’ll learn from those non-fatal mistakes.
To shorten your personal Mean Time To Resolution, learn how to say, “I’m sorry,” and mean it. Practice the skill of listening to understand rather than listening to defend. Develop the discernment of personal and professional principles so you can know when and how to stand your ground and when to accept corrective feedback.
By learning to address your personal Mean Time To Resolution, you give yourself the space to fail and, therefore, to grow and, ultimately, to succeed.
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