1. failure is your friend:
embracing the messy bits

2. anna roberts
@wranglecreative
jolene zywica
@jolenezywica
courtney francis
@cfrancisrun
working examples
@workingexamples

3. introduction
definitions and assumptions
prepping for failure
introduction, reflect and share
recovering from failure
introduction and share
bringing it home

4. our assumptions
you believe in the value of failure
you’re interested in exploring your experience with failure
you’re ready to be a bit brave

5. what does failure mean to you?
Not achieving your ideal or desired outcomes
Falling short
Disappointing someone
Not getting the results you expected
Not measuring up
Not doing what is expected of you
Floundering
Making a mistake or misstep
Not being “successful”
Forgetting do to something
Looking bad
Not holding it together
Procrastinating – not starting something
Being sub-par
Creating something that doesn’t work
Hurting someone
Not advancing to the next level
Overlooking something or someone
Slipping up
Fizzling out

6. definition #1:
quality world picture
our fantasy of success
vs. real world

7. the idea in practice:
create a fallible picture of yourself
1. turn to your neighbor
2. share an “oops” moment that happened recently
3. laugh about it

8. definition #2:
resilience
our ability to recover from
tragedy, trauma, failure or risk

9. remember:
embracing failure is a process
it starts small
it doesn’t always feel good (but it gets easier)
no one is ever great at it (but you get better)

10. embracing failure before you start:
building your world picture

11. building your world picture
recognize it
Are you feeling stuck? Frustrated? Having a hard time getting started? What are you struggling with?
Recognize what’s getting in the way or what you’re afraid of. Give it name.
deconstruct it
Analyze your world picture. What exactly are you afraid of? What’s the worst that could happen?
The best? How realistic are those outcomes? What can you reasonably control?
relax
Give yourself permission to explore and learn. Focus on adjusting your picture.
plan
Build a strategy. What support do you need? Who can help?
baby steps
Figure out first steps. Take one. Take another.

12. reflect on your own (3 minutes)
Think about a time you were worried about failing – big or small
(just think about the experience, but don’t judge it)
What were some of your fears?
What’s the worst that could have happened?
How did it make you feel?
How did your fear/worry manifest itself?
How did you approach the problem?
Who did you ask for help, if anyone?
What might you have done differently?

13. share in small groups (10 minutes)
Thinking about these tools, how could have your experience been different? Do any of
these steps resonate strongly with you? What steps or tools might you add?
recognize it
Are you feeling stuck? Frustrated? Having a hard time getting started? What are you struggling with?
Recognize what’s getting in the way or what you’re afraid of. Give it a name.
deconstruct it
Analyze your world picture. What exactly are you afraid of? What’s the worst that could happen? The best?
How realistic are those outcomes? What can you reasonably control?
relax
Give yourself permission to explore and learn. Focus on adjusting your picture.
plan
Build a strategy. What support do you need? Who can help?
baby steps
Figure out first steps. Take one. Take another.

14. ideas & strategies from the group
Additional ideas from the participants of our SXSWedu workshop
slow down
In our fast-paced world, we forget to slow down so that we can make good decisions. Take some time to
ponder solutions, think things over or prepare before acting.
do a “pre-mortem”
Prepare by looking forward and identifying what might go wrong. Are there areas where challenges are likely
to arise? Make a plan that will account for predictable failures or potential issues.
remember that things will go wrong
Set the expectation (for yourself and others) that there will be bumps in the road so you’re less likely to get
derailed if things go wrong.
perfect is the enemy of good
Don’t get paralyzed by perfectionism. Doing ANYTHING is better than doing nothing; just get yourself started.

15. embracing failure after the fact:
practicing resilience

16. practicing resilience
recognize it
Admit it. What happened? How are you feeling about it (scared, frustrated, embarrassed, angry)?
feel it
Don’t move past it yet, give yourself space to feel all the yuck. Nurture yourself. Find a support system.
reflect
What happened? What might you have done differently? What can you learn from in this situation?
How can you make this into something positive? Find mentors to help you do this work.
next steps
Based on what you’ve learned, what changes could help you be more successful next time?
What can you do to prepare? What (if anything) do you need to do to “recover” from your failure?

17. share in small groups (10 minutes)
Which of these steps resonate strongly with you?
How have you used these to recover from a past failure? Or how might you have used them?
Are there other strategies that you might add to the list?
recognize it
Admit it. What happened? How are you feeling about it (scared, frustrated, embarrassed, angry)?
feel it
Don’t move past it yet, give yourself space to feel all the yuck. Nurture yourself. Find a support system.
reflect
What happened? What might you have done differently? What can you learn from in this situation?
How can you make this into something positive? Find mentors to help you do this work.
next steps
Based on what you’ve learned, what changes could help you be more successful next time?
What can you do to prepare? What (if anything) do you need to do to “recover” from your failure?

18. ideas & strategies from the group
Additional ideas from the participants of our SXSWedu workshop
apologize
Recognize when you need to make amends. Was there someone(s) you hurt, toes that were stepped on?
Saying sorry is hard but will build trust with people and help you all move on together.
look for support
Who can help you successfully recover from your failure? Look for people you trust to support you
emotionally, give you honest feedback, and help you plan your next steps.
focus on what worked
How can you turn this negative experience into a positive one? What did you gain from the experience? Are
there things you learned or new relationships that might help you in the future?
move past it
Don’t dwell for too long or be harder on yourself than the failure warrants. Letting yourself off the hook is an
important part of moving forward.

19. tips for bringing it home
these steps are a set of tools, not a prescription
remember, it’s a process
creating a culture of failure starts with YOU
supporting others in failure is great practice
BE BRAVE!

20. bringing it home: open share
How are you thinking about using these ideas
in your life, classroom, work, etc.?
How might you support your colleagues or students
to help them become more resilient?

21. ideas & strategies from the group
Additional ideas from the participants of our SXSWedu workshop
teach (and model) resilience
It’s very important as a leader, teacher or team member to model embracing and talking about failures. Teach
resilience by presenting failure as natural (and inevitable).
support your team
Talk through your team’s strengths and weaknesses before failure occurs so you can focus energy in the right
place and seek the best support for your team if failure does happen.
avoid finger pointing
Casting blame breaks down trust and doesn’t allow people to acknowledge or work through failure.
culture shift is slow
Some situations will require a shift in thinking in order for people to embrace these values. Be patient and
model your own work to demonstrate the value of failure.

22. to get these slides
tweet us: @workingexamples
find them on our blog:
www.workingexamples.org/blog