Communication specialist with a researcher's brain | I help people with research knowledge clarify their messaging and connect with the audiences they want to impact
When she said it took her three times to pass the bob module, I knew I was going to great a great haircut. 💇 According to my new stylist, the bob is one of the hardest haircuts to learn. Who knew? I’ve worn my hair in some form of a bob for more years than I can count, and no other stylist has ever shared this challenge with me. 🤔 It took a lot of courage, I thought, for my new acquaintance to open up about how tough she’d found it to master the popular cut. She mentioned her two failed bob exams so nonchalantly that for a split second I was a bit put off. 😰 How recently had she passed the bob test, I wondered? And what was her passing grade? My hairdo was in her hands! But that initial wariness was fleeting because I quickly recognized that I was in the hands of someone to whom FAIL is simply an acronym for First Attempt in Learning. 😁 That kind of person doesn’t just repeat assigned tasks—they consciously strive to master a craft. That’s exactly the kind of person I aspire to be in my creative work. Though I don’t advertise my flops, I’ve failed spectacularly as both a writer and as a teacher. And that’s why I’m now able to empower others to write and teach. You know you've become an expert when you’re able to own up to your bungles matter-of-factly, like the woman who told me about her bob troubles while calmly snipping away at my hair. What have your failures in research communication taught you? 💬 #LearningThroughFailure #CreativeGrowth #EmpowermentThroughMistakes #MasterYourCraft #ConfidenceInCreativity #CourageToFail
I think I would be rethinking my choice of that haircut had I been you (when she said it took her three times) 🤣🤣🤣 Then again, I’ve had my share my bad haircuts 😀
Great perspective—thank you for sharing, Vanessa Paesani. So many people are afraid to talk about failures, but that's often where the most valuable learning happens
Great new take on your “bob” - and on using honesty to build trust! It’s important to recognize both the timing AND the value in sharing our bumps along the road - those “First Attempts in Learning” (love this framing of FAIL!). Sharing these stories can be a powerful way to encourage others, and like your stylist, show we’ve done the reps to become “expert” in our field, while shedding ego and its mask.
Funny and cute!! 💇🏼♀️
Great cut and great post, Dawn!
Communication specialist with a researcher's brain | I help people with research knowledge clarify their messaging and connect with the audiences they want to impact
1wWhat have your failures in research communication taught you? 💬