When done with authenticity and humility, discussing your failures with others can make you appear more relatable and more human, according to research from Harvard’s Alison Wood Brooks. And when we frame such conversations by asking others for help, we can even use such experiences to improve. Such revelations also stimulate benign envy, according to Brooks, which can motivate those we are speaking with to try harder in their pursuits.
Innovating Program and Project Management through AI and Robotics
As marketers, “failure” is something we will go a long way to avoid. Rather than talk about our mistakes, we focus on wins, optimisation and ROI. We direct our energy toward the projection of success and swiftly move past mistakes or missteps. But that could be the biggest mistake of all, because failure is precious. We need to recognize it when it happens, take a pause to stop and reflect, so we can spin it into gold.
Talking about the future isn't just therapeutic. When done right, talking about failure is the same as talking about the future, driving a culture of growth & innovation.