The Only Failure is Failure to Learn

David Damberger works with Engineers without Borders. In this talk he explains the importance of facing up to failure – not as an exercise in shame but in order to really be open to learn and innovate.

Convinced of this by their own experience, Engineers Without Borders Canada have begun to publish an annual report of their failures.

They have also set up a web-site – www.failure.com – where NGOs can go and post examples of their own failures and research and learn from the failure of others.  As it says on the site –

By hiding our failures, we are condemning ourselves to repeat them and we are stifling innovation.

Failure in the development sector is no different than failure in any arena of professional or personal life.  As long as we persist in hiding our failures and pretending they don’t exist, we will continue to really fail in reaching our objectives.

Ironic.

Have a listen –

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGiHU-agsGY&feature=player_embedded#!]

10 Comments

    1. So do I – being willing to learn from failure is a bit like being willing to apologise don’t you think? You need to do it unless you think there is a chance you might become perfect anytime soon! Thanks for the comment.

  1. How wonderful for this mother of an engineer-son to find out about this organization and the unselfish posting of their failures at this website. Thank you!

  2. How wonderful for this mother of an engineer-son to find out about this organization and the unselfish posting of their failures at this website. Thank you!

  3. We learn as much or more from our failures as our successes. It’s great to learn what WORKS . . . but it’s also helpful to learn what DOESN’T WORK.

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