Sometimes a Loss is Actually a Win

In the past week our team got the news that we were not selected for a contract we applied for. We went through the process of attending bid meetings, putting together a proposal, and then doing a presentation and tasting for the committee - all during our busiest time of the year. Our team felt great about what we put together and when we got the news we were honestly pretty surprised.

I was incredibly proud of our team. We all felt like we did the best we could and I wouldn’t change a thing about our presentation or approach. After some time to reflect, I realized that this loss might actually be a win. I was reminded of a few lines from Rosie Perez’s character Gloria Clemente in the movie White Men Can’t Jump.

“Sometimes when you win, you really lose. And sometimes when you lose, you really win. And sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs.”
-Gloria Clemente (White Men Can’t Jump)

When you are honest about your capabilities, authentically showcase who you are, and put your best foot forward, there is no shame in not getting the deal. On the contrary, it is actually a blessing in disguise. It can be easy to get caught up chasing something that looks shiny on the outside. In reality though, it might just be a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit into what you are building. If we would have over-promised or compromised our values just to get the deal, it would have been an uphill battle that could have caused frustration and headaches for our team. It’s not that this was a bad opportunity, we just weren’t the right fit.

This could have been a cool thing for our team and our business, but I’m 100 percent at peace with the fact that they politely told us that we were not going to be selected. If they don’t find value in what we provide, then we are better off allocating our resources to other events, contracts and partners that truly appreciate what we do and who we are. The first line of our mission statement is “Love What We Do” and it’s hard to do that when you work with people that don’t value what you provide. I’ve written before that sometimes you just have to say, “I didn’t make it for you.” This “loss” will allow us to focus our efforts on things that will exponentially change our business because they provide better alignment.

I know our team was bummed, but I didn’t want them to look at this as a defeat. Instead, I assured that it will be a win for us in the long run. Have you experienced any losses recently, that might actually be wins? Or more worrisome, have you had any recent “wins” that might actually cost you down the road? As we continue to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, it’s important to be intentional about the way we build our companies back up. We have to be clear on our values, what we want to create, and continue to look for alignment when evaluating what is actually a win or a loss.