Stephon Harris is a well known, young, jazz vibraphonist. His appearance on the TEDTalk, Stephon Harris: There are no mistakes on the bandstand, describes his improvisational approach, and its applications outside of jazz music. He explains that mistakes, in this case notes out of key, should be viewed as opportunities, and that mistakes are simply missed opportunities. The trick to this technique is being observant of others such as his bandmates. This is demonstrated through practical examples with his bandmates, which makes the ideas very easy to digest.
The practical application of this is the concept of adaptability. Within the realm of sound design, very little goes according to plan or procedure. This means that there is opportunity to try new techniques and equipment. Sound designers have deadlines, parameters and deliverable criteria to meet and sometimes vague descriptions of what is wanted. Therefore, it is not unheard of for sounds to be rejected due to not meeting the needs of the project. Being adaptable and using these "mistakes" as "opportunities" to create better sounds more in alignment with the project's needs is crucial for the sound designer.
