At Efficacy we love FADAF, the catchy acronym that stands for "Failure and Difficulty are Feedback." However, we aren't the only ones inspired by this idea; made popular by Toyota, the term "Kaizen" endorses a similar concept in Japan.

In a recent (and well worth reading) article by researchers Bryan Goodwin and Ceri Dean, "Three school improvement mistakes (and how to avoid them)," Kaizen is referenced under the subtitle, "Learn from your mistakes." Goodwin and Dean write, "Kaizen declares that 'every defect is a treasure' - that is, making and uncovering mistakes is all part of the improvement process."

Wikipedia further describes Kaizen as having three basic operational principles: process and results, systemic thinking, and non-judgmental/non-blaming practices (which are seen as a waste of valuable time). Just as Wikipedia cites the "zen" in Kaizen as being rooted in the "learn-by-doing aspect of improving," Goodwin and Dean state that "the only real improvement mistake a school can make is to do nothing at all."

Failure and difficulty provide necessary feedback for moving forward, in any field and at any level. From Now On would like to know what effective FADAF practices you have implemented in your life, or in your school/ classroom. Write us at: fno@efficacy.org.