Is failure a force that propels me forward or a barrier that holds me back? It’s the former. Failure, with its lessons and insights, is a catalyst for personal growth.

What’s more significant – being part of numerous successful projects that offer no lessons, or enduring the challenges of an unsuccessful project that provides invaluable life lessons? The latter, undoubtedly. It’s on these projects that we learn crucial things about ourselves, others, and life. 

The ultimate goal is to exit an unsuccessful project without any lingering harmful effects. The aim is to emerge from the experience with enhanced skills, a deeper understanding of reality, and a more substantial commitment to tackling new challenges that bring added value to my customers. This should be the desired outcome of any unsuccessful project. 

The other thing is the customer. Does it let you go? Even knowing how valuable the lessons you have learned are? The customer paid the price to allow you to understand the hard way on your job assignment. But will the customer be rewarded in the future on another assignment? It strictly depends on the customer’s policy – will it terminate the cooperation, or will you allow them to stay and ensure you have learned your lesson? The customer should update the control procedures so that this issue does not recur on other projects. Additionally, if the customer allows you in, there is a considerable possibility of improving project management knowledge and transferring it within the company.

The outcome of a non-successful project, or rather a project that was not fully understood or accepted, should not be viewed as strictly unsuccessful. It could be seen as an opportunity for learning and growth, with the value lying elsewhere.

The project manager can consider their work on the project unsuccessful even when the project is a success. There are many stakeholders involved in every project, and their understanding of the results may be perceived radically differently.

The positive outcome of the unsuccessful project is undoubtedly an exceptional set of lessons learned, often at a significant cost, including loss of cash or other valuable assets. But if the lessons are spread enough. It can change the perception of the financial loss, as this could be seen as an investment in better processes, understanding project complexities, and even upskilling project managers the hard way.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi, in this book Before the Coffee Gets Cold, outlines a Tokyo café where you can sit in one specific chair and go to the past or future, until your coffee gets cold. If you had the opportunity to use this, just after your unsuccessful journey on your projects ends, what would you do? To whom would you talk and what would you say?