Wednesday 13 November 2013

Editorial - Making Mistakes At QVM


"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" says a famous adage and making mistakes is an accepted part of any worthwhile undertaking. We shouldn't expect to get everything right first time, particularly when breaking new ground, like in a major renewal project.

Creating an environment in which traders are encouraged to make worthwhile contributions is a major emphasis for this renewal campaign. Consultation and engagement opportunities have never been more prolific for traders. Perhaps the biggest mistake we can make is seeing opportunities for improvement but doing nothing about them. Passive mistakes are worse than active mistakes. Active mistakes can be corrected. Passive mistakes just slip into the depths to later re-surface and inhibit progress.

Thorough analysis of new ideas is an essential part of any major project and criticism is inevitable. But offering criticism without offering positive solutions, or at least contributing to the discussion, is cheap. Let's be honest, we have plenty of traders who are willing to criticise or denigrate efforts at improvement. The real challenge is to make contributions and offer solutions. Not throw away lines like "Just bring back the customers we used to have" but a real assessment of the incredible changes in retailing and how a public retail market might prosper in the future.

Will there be mistakes? Of course there will. But this is a great opportunity to influence our future and correct any mistakes we might make along the way.

"People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year." - Peter Drucker