Workshop on Failure

Failure is one of the loyal companions for many successful people, but not everyone knows how to befriend failure and make it work to their advantage. In fact, a career of being a scientist could start with a failed experiment. Unlike any other profession, being a scientist requires the ability to combine successful results with failures and mistakes. As we experience failure, it becomes a familiar feeling throughout our path to success, but fear of failure, as well as fear of success, can be a serious threat within the obstacle course any scientist must go. Despite the longstanding negative vision of failure, it can be a powerful driver for professional and personal growth. 

Workshop Outline 

Content 

• Defining failure  

• CV of failures 

• Taxonomy of failure 

• Growth mindset 

• Failure in the context of science 

• Pros and cons of talking about failure  

• Failure as part of the experience of doing science 

Activity in pair or small groups 

Debrief