THE BENEFITS OF ITERATIVE FAILURE.

#ixdes17 #iterativefailure

Hello!I’m Lauren JohnsonFaculty at Columbia College Chicago, Interactive Arts & Media Department.

Maker of things, people, and change.

Some quick background

About how I got here

Some quick background

About how I got here

About theproblem

Some quick background

About how I got here

About the outcome

About theproblem

Why failure?Or, why the struggle and process is just as

important as the outcome.

Challenging AssumptionsWe all need to do it more.

Challenging AssumptionsWe all need to do it more.

Asking for HelpWe all hate doing it.

Challenging AssumptionsWe all need to do it more.

Asking for HelpWe all hate doing it. Total success!Abandoning Bad IdeasMost of our ideas are bad.

Challenging AssumptionsWe all need to do it more.

100%Total success!

Asking for HelpWe all hate doing it.

Abandoning Bad IdeasMost of our ideas are bad.

Becoming ResilientWe all need to embrace mistakes.

1.Challenging

Assumptions

Like opinions, which are like something else…

Assumptions, we all have them.

A faulty foundation of assumptions.

▣ We’ve defined the right audience▣ We’ve defined the right problem▣ We are creating something people will use▣ We are creating something people want to use▣ We understand their habits▣ We understand the context of use▣ We are just like our audience

The hard partYou can’t, and shouldn’t, do it for them.

Get your team to ask why

The other hard partThey won’t always do it. But the more they ask why, the more it will become ingrained in their process.

‘’The Marshmallow Challenge. Destroying assumptions with 20 sticks of spaghetti, a yard of tape, a yard of string, and one big marshmallow.Ac

tivi

ty

The Marshmallow Challenge.

Teaches iteration, collaboration, rapid development, and

- most importantly -

addresses the idea that a marshmallow is not weightless.

Who does poorly at this exercise?

Who does poorly at this exercise?

MBAs

Who excels at this exercise?

Who excels at this exercise?

Kindergarteners

Want big impact?Use big image.

On average, kindergarteners’ structures measure 25 inches, while engineers with master’s degrees average 24 inches.

Adults waste time planning and defining roles, kids just go for it through trial and error. Kids are also the only group that regularly requests more materials.

Source: Microsoft for Work blog

2.Asking for

HelpWhy do we always insist on doing things on our own?

Why are people afraid to ask for help?

▣Fear of appearing weak▣Fear of appearing incompetent▣Fear of appearing needy▣Fear of surrendering control▣Fear of feeling indebted

Source: New York Times

How do you create a culture of help?

▣Set up expectations▣Define a methodology of asking for help

From the Core Protocols:

1. Asker inquires of another, “[Helper’s name], will you X?”

2. Asker expresses any specifics or restrictions of the request.

3. Helper responds by saying “Yes” or “No” or by offering an alternative form of help.

Source: liveingreatness.com

For the Asker:● Clearly define

what you are asking for

● Accept no for an answer

● Accept the help● Do not apologize

for asking for help

For the Helper:● Say no if you

can’t add value● Ask for more

information to inform your help

How do you create a culture of help?

▣Set up expectations▣Define a methodology of asking for help▣Model asking for help frequently early on in

the process

How do you create a culture of help?

▣Set up expectations▣Define a methodology of asking for help▣Model asking for help frequently early on in

the process▣Accept that if you are in trouble, you probably

missed an ask for help opportunity

3.Abandoning

Bad Ideas

The life-changing magic of letting go of bad work, no matter how invested you are.

Learning to let go of bad ideas

▣Be skeptical, not eager▣Beware collective belief & cognitive bias

‘’Collective belief arises because individual belief is often contagious, particularly when it reinforces others’ perceptions and desires. Source: Harvard Business Review, Isabelle Royer

Learning to let go of bad ideas

▣Be skeptical, not eager▣Beware collective belief & cognitive bias▣Get outside perspective early and often

Learning to let go of bad ideas

▣Be skeptical, not eager▣Beware collective belief & cognitive bias▣Get outside perspective early and often▣Engage with and value dissenting voices

Learning to let go of bad ideas

▣Be skeptical, not eager▣Beware collective belief & cognitive bias▣Get outside perspective early and often▣Engage with and value dissenting voices▣Don’t become attached

Attachment leads to hoarding

4.Becoming Resilient

Snap back from failure like a rubber band.

‘’If you are lucky enough to never experience any sort of adversity, we won’t know how resilient you are. It’s only when you’re faced with obstacles, stress, and other environmental threats that resilience, or the lack of it, emerges.“How People Learn to Become Resilient”The New Yorker, Maria Konnikova. February 2016

Martin Seligman - Learned Helplessness & Resilience

1965Seligman and Maier define “learned helplessness”

Three groups of dogs received minor shocks - two groups were able to halt the shocks, one group was not.

When placed in a new environment with a short hurdle separating them from the shocks, most of the third group of dogs never attempted to jump over the hurdle.

2008Seligman works with General Casey, US Army Chief of Staff to address PTSD.

Seligman defined a spectrum of resilience naturally present.

Created a resilience training program to combat PTSD, utilizing PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment—the building blocks of resilience and growth.

How do you become resilient?

▣“Internal locus of control”▣Accept that failure happens, and that’s ok▣Don’t exaggerate trauma▣Do discuss what went wrong, and why▣Realize that failure is “temporary, local, and

changeable.” -Martin E.P. Seligman, Psychologist, University of Pennsylvania

Thanks!Any questions?You can find me at@laurenteresalliss@colum.edu