Here's how you can share your failures in the GIS field to cultivate a culture of learning and growth.

Sharing failures allows others to learn from mistakes, leading to better practices and innovations. Understanding what went wrong can help prevent similar issues in the future. Strategies for being open about failures like case studies and reports, internal reviews, public presentation and webinars, feedback loops, etc.

Embracing openness in sharing your GIS failures is indeed crucial. By acknowledging that setbacks are an inevitable part of learning, we can foster a more transparent and supportive professional environment. When you candidly discuss what didn't work in your GIS projects, you provide valuable insights into the complexities of spatial analysis, data management, and software use. This transparency not only builds trust within your network but also encourages others to share their experiences, enriching our collective knowledge and helping everyone improve their skills.

Across many industries, most noticeably science, there appears to be a culture of underreporting failures. It can be difficult to go into the details of exactly how your project failed, especially when ego and reputation are at stake. However, I believe that there is not any shame in sharing failures. In fact, setting aside your pride, admitting to mistakes, and educating those around you on how they can avoid/ fix those mistakes can only be beneficial for the industry as a whole.

Lo primero es abrirse a compartir los errores en los procesos de análisis y modelos territoriales, reconocer abiertamente los errores expondrá la complejidad del análisis geoespacial, de lo importante que es contar con datos geocodificados de calidad y el valor de saber manejar plataformas o software especializados en SIG (Sistemas de Información Geográfica). Además, el hecho de exponerse abiertamente en reconocer los propios errores, también revela la capacidad que tenemos de aprender constantemente y aceptar que el aprendizaje es una dinámica constante de experimentar y fracasar rápido.

Absolutely, it’s better to share your failed experiences with one another to avoid next conflicts in GIS technology. Because it is not as easy as it seems. GIS has vast potential and it is yet to be discovered. So, it’s very important to talk about attempts which are lead to disappointment in GIS.

Contextualizar los errores, habla muy bien de nuestra forma organizada, con método y planificación de trabajo. Demuestra que somos capacez de organizar muy bien las ideas, recursos y resultados esperados de cada proceso o proyecto que abordamos. Al facilitar a los demás este tipo de información, bien estructurada, generará una pauta de trabajo organizada y guiada con base en los aprendizajes reales. Además expondrá todos los antecedentes y variables externas que pudiesen influir en los errores que nos siempre son parte del mismo proyecto.

In this field we always come to the new obstacles with the new challenges. Only thing is everytime we work, we work in the same manner. An exception is not available

Provide context for your failure, including the specific problem you were trying to solve, the methods you used, and the expected outcomes. This helps others understand the situation and learn from your experience.

Los errores siempre han pasado, pasan y pasarán. Creo que lo importante es educar a la comunidad de aceptar los errores. Cometer errores nos hace mas consciente de que nadie es infalible. Pero la pregunta que siempre está oculta:?Quien lo paga?

Centrarse en las lecciones aprendidas, siempre facilitará el proceso de aprendizaje contínuo. Debe ser asumido como un proceso de contínuo aprendizaje y no de buscar culpables o defectos en las herramientas como en los datos.

I’ve encountered setbacks that have taught me valuable lessons. Rather than dwelling on the negatives, I focus on positive takeaways and adjustments to make in the future. One of my failures involved relying on incomplete or inaccurate geospatial dataset. I learned the importance of thoroughly assessing data quality before going through analysis. To overcome this, I recommend always validating data sources, understanding their limitations, and considering alternative datasets if possible. Additionally, I struggled with inefficient workflows in the past. Now, I prioritize streamlining processes to save time and reduce errors. Automating repetitive tasks using Python scripts or model builder tools has been an exciting learning experience.

Focar na solu??o e n?o no problema! Entender que você precisa ser suave com as pessoas, mas duro com os processos! Falhar é importante e vai acontecer. Você precisa entender o que aprendeu para n?o repetir. Por isso é importante que a empresa tenha uma cultura em que os erros honestos s?o permitidos, isso faz com que todos possam compartilhar suas experiências e aprender com os erros dos outros. Ent?o n?o fique com receio de compartilhar aquilo que n?o deu certo, pois pode servir de aprendizado para o outro e principalmente para você.

Highlight the lessons you learned from your failure, including what you would do differently in the future. This helps to focus on the positive aspects of the experience and how it can be used to improve.

Um bom profissional de SIG sempre terá em paralelo as suas execu??es de sucesso o registro de suas falhas e o caminho que utilizou para resolvê-las. Desta forma, uma excelente maneira de aprender com as li??es que o SIG proporciona é registrar esses desafios com apresenta??es, passo a passo, anota??es. Pensando a longo prazo, será um recurso de grande valia quando for executar o mesmo processo futuramente!

Cultivar el diágolo abierto en los procesos de aprendizaje basado en los errores cometidos, genera un ambiente de cooperación y co creación multidireccional, ya que fomenta la participación y aportes desde todas las miradas profesionales y experiencia. Se pueden puntos ciegos o sesgos en los procesos, e incluso descubrir antecedentes o fuentes de errores que no revelaron antes.

Encourage others to share their own experiences and lessons learned from failures. This fosters a culture of open communication and collaboration, where everyone can learn from each other.

This practice not only helps demystify and normalize the discussion of failures but also facilitates collaborative problem-solving and knowledge-sharing. When team members feel safe to speak openly about their setbacks, they are more likely to share valuable insights and innovative solutions that can prevent similar issues in the future. Encouraging dialogue creates a supportive community where everyone learns from each other’s experiences, driving continuous improvement and fostering a resilient, growth-oriented organizational culture.

While encouraging dialogue is important, ensure that knowledge sharing is done at a conventional level. While a tenured employee with decades of experience are very wise, their solution to a problem may not be as conventional. This is why newly educated GIS Professional's are sought after for company's that are planning for tomorrow. Fostering two(+) way communication while keeping the future of GIS on the horizon not only helps your team create a great product, but a sustainable one. I've always felt that project failure is subjective on the viewer assessing it, which is why dialogue is so important when you make mistakes, as it helps you reach an objective end point.

Por se tratar de um mundo t?o vasto, comumente outras pessoas enfrentaram os mesmos desafios que você para executar processos iguais ou similares. Além de fomentar a solu??o dos desafios, o diálogo pode te proporcionar aprendizados que v?o além do seu contratempo, ou melhor, te permitirá compartilhar e evitar que outras pessoas comentam os mesmos erros.

Post Project Assessments (or Post-Mortem's) have greatly contributed to the success of the GIS Department I work in. While some team members struggle with transparency (really just not wanting to offend their coworkers), we have pinpointed bottlenecks and promoted innovation for large-scale GIS Projects. While I've never felt that acknowledging personal failures reduces the stigma associated with making mistakes, personal failures have helped me maintain my drive when it comes to improving processes.

Make sharing failures a regular part of your work culture by incorporating them into meetings, training sessions, or other regular activities. This helps to make sharing failures a normal and expected part of the work environment.

A continuidade de sucessos no desenvolvimento de projetos está associada a muitos fatores, dentre eles, o registro de li??es aprendidas. Um bom registro irá te proporcionar uma vis?o prévia de um novo projeto antes mesmo de iniciar a execu??o.

I whole heartedly support post-mortems and lessons learned especially after failed project or pilots with limited success. The issue becomes, will the organization take to time to analyze the reasons for the failure. Eight times out of ten, an organization will not analyze the issues for the failure but proceed down a secondary route. I recommend all teams to share their knowledge about the failure to make sure the issues are not repeated on a secondary try.

Utilize digital platforms, such as blogs, podcasts, or online forums, to share your failures and lessons learned with a wider audience. This helps to reach more people and create a broader culture of learning and growth.

GIS systems can be technically complex, requiring specialized knowledge and training. This complexity can lead to underutilization or incorrect usage of the technology. Also, an over-reliance on GIS technology without considering other factors can lead to flawed decision-making. It is essential to integrate GIS insights with other information and expert judgment.

Este aspecto es fundamental, pues unas de las cosas que no hacía cuando estaba iniciando en el mundo de los SIG era compartir mi conocimiento. Desde que tome la decisión de compartir mis conocimientos estoy seguro que muchos otros profesionales que están iniciando están considerando esos consejos para mejorar.

Redundant data can complicate analysis & reduce efficiency - During a land cover classification project, I integrated multiple datasets from different sources without checking for redundancy. This led to overlapping data layers, causing confusion & errors in classification. After identifying the redundancy, I streamlined the datasets by removing duplicates & ensuring each layer provided unique, relevant information. This experience highlighted the necessity of meticulous data management practices to maintain clarity & efficiency in GIS projects.

Be prepared to discuss the emotional impact of failure and how you managed it. This helps to create a culture where people feel comfortable sharing their failures without fear of judgment. Highlight the benefits of sharing failures, such as increased collaboration, improved problem-solving, and enhanced learning. This helps to create a culture where sharing failures is seen as a positive and valuable practice.