How can you learn from social impact models that have failed?

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Social impact models are frameworks or approaches that aim to create positive and sustainable change in the world. They can range from small-scale interventions to large-scale movements, and from local to global issues. However, not all social impact models succeed in achieving their goals, and some may even have negative or unintended consequences. How can you learn from these failures and use them to improve your own social impact work? Here are some tips to help you.

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1 Analyze the root causes

The first step to learning from failure is to understand why it happened. What were the assumptions, hypotheses, and logic behind the social impact model? What were the external factors and context that influenced its implementation and outcomes? What were the gaps, flaws, or biases in the design, execution, or evaluation of the model? By analyzing the root causes of failure, you can identify the key lessons and insights that can inform your future decisions and actions.

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Alessia Argiolas

Post Doctoral Researcher TUM Chair of Corporate Sustainability | TUM SEED Center Research Coordinator
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In our research, we use the term "impact drift" to describe the deviation from intended impact outcomes, rather than framing it as failure. The concept of "drift" aligns more accurately with the reality of organizations striving to achieve diverse social impacts. When you experience drift from your original goals, you have the opportunity to either realign with your initial objectives or pivot towards new social impact targets. An impact model, therefore, does not truly fail; instead, it is designed to be a dynamic tool capable of challenging its own assumptions and adapting to different circumstances. Based on my experience, it is crucial to anticipate potential setbacks and prioritize safeguarding beneficiaries against unintended drifts.

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Owen Barrett

?? We Help Multifamily Owners Make $600/Unit in NOI with Onsite Solar ??
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Cultivate a mindset that embraces challenges, learns from mistakes, and seeks continuous improvement. Encourage yourself and your team to adopt a growth mindset where setbacks are seen as temporary obstacles on the path to success.

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2 Seek feedback and perspectives

The second step to learning from failure is to seek feedback and perspectives from different stakeholders and sources. How did the failure affect the people, communities, and ecosystems that the social impact model intended to serve? How did it affect the partners, funders, and supporters of the model? How did it affect the reputation, credibility, and morale of the organization or team behind the model? By seeking feedback and perspectives, you can gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the impact and implications of the failure.

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Stephanie F.

Making meaningful change for learning, leadership, culture and equity within organizations | People Experience | Social Impact Strategist
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Perspective is a gift, whether external or external. Have conversations with those involved or those that may have a point of view on the failure, discuss what was the intent, what missed the target, what could be better, what could work, essentially consider conducting a retrospective or post-mortem, this can be a source of valuable insights and point of leverage for the future.

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Owen Barrett

?? We Help Multifamily Owners Make $600/Unit in NOI with Onsite Solar ??
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Encourage team members to engage in self-reflection exercises, group discussions, and peer reviews to examine their roles, decisions, and contributions to the failed initiative.

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3 Adapt and iterate

The third step to learning from failure is to adapt and iterate your social impact model based on the lessons and insights you gained. How can you modify, improve, or pivot your model to address the root causes of failure and the feedback and perspectives you received? How can you test, validate, or scale your model to increase its effectiveness and efficiency? How can you monitor, measure, or communicate your model's progress and results? By adapting and iterating, you can turn failure into an opportunity for innovation and growth.

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Owen Barrett

?? We Help Multifamily Owners Make $600/Unit in NOI with Onsite Solar ??
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Encourage cross-functional collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches to problem-solving, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise. Invest in employee training programs and knowledge-sharing platforms.

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4 Share and learn

The fourth step to learning from failure is to share and learn from others who have experienced or studied similar or related failures. How can you document, disseminate, or discuss your failure and its lessons and insights with your peers, mentors, or experts in your field or sector? How can you access, review, or apply the knowledge, evidence, or best practices that others have generated or shared about their failures or successes? By sharing and learning, you can build a culture of learning and collaboration in your social impact work.

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5 Embrace failure

The fifth step to learning from failure is to embrace it as an inevitable and valuable part of your social impact journey. How can you develop a mindset, attitude, or behavior that welcomes failure as a source of learning and improvement? How can you overcome the fear, stigma, or shame that may be associated with failure? How can you celebrate, reward, or recognize the efforts, risks, or experiments that led to failure? By embracing failure, you can foster a spirit of resilience and optimism in your social impact work.

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Irene Oluwashina

Climate Action|Women Empowerment|Community Development|Program Management|Fundraising|Advocacy & Research|Child Health and Safety|Education
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By studying failures, we can identify common pitfalls, systemic issues, and blind spots that may not have been apparent at the outset. This enables us to refine and improve our approaches, ultimately increasing the likelihood of creating sustainable models that truly make a difference in people's lives. Learning from the mistakes of others can save time, resources, and effort that might otherwise be wasted in repeating the same errors. It's a proactive way to approach problem-solving and innovation in the realm of social impact, allowing us to build upon the lessons of the past to create more effective and enduring solutions for the future.

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6 Apply your learning

The sixth and final step to learning from failure is to apply your learning to your current or future social impact models. How can you use the lessons and insights you gained from failure to inform your vision, mission, or goals? How can you use the feedback and perspectives you received from failure to enhance your empathy, understanding, or engagement with your target audience or beneficiaries? How can you use the knowledge and evidence you acquired from failure to strengthen your strategy, tactics, or methods? By applying your learning, you can increase your impact and value in your social impact work.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you learn from social impact models that have failed?

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1 Analyze the root causes

2 Seek feedback and perspectives

3 Adapt and iterate

4 Share and learn

5 Embrace failure

6 Apply your learning

7 Here’s what else to consider

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