"May I ask a question?" asked a Board member. "Was this a big deal? Did a lot of people express disappointment that the Picnic didn't happen this year? Why would we share this?"

The Board member was talking about a "lessons learned" article written by Damion Donaldson after the cancellation of this year's ASTD Southern California Family Picnic.  Damion had taken on the responsibility of coordinating the event with the ASTD-LA chapter, and had found the coordination spin out of control.  In response, Damion offered to share with the Board the lessons he learned from the experience. When he completed his introspective study, he opted to share his findings with the Chapter membership.
 
In doing so, Damion captures the spirit of ASTD-Orange County.  I've often shared that this is a community of practice, an organization in which all those who participate get the chance to experience new things, successes and failures, and to learn from them.  By taking part in this "lessons learned" exercise, Damion shows us all that there is no such thing as a complete failure, if one is willing to learn from it.

This brings to mind a quote from Al Franken:
"Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from."

Damion's findings are applicable to any individual planning an event, be it a pilot training session or an all-hands meeting. Learn more in this month's OrangeSpiel Online.