Session Description - Resilient Cities 2015

SESSION DESCRIPTION
D4
Fail forward! Climate Dialogue’s session on
resilience
Workshop
Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Time: 14:30-16:00
Rooms: S34-35
Language:
Contact:
E-mail:
Organized by:
English
Kora Rösler
roesler@adelphi.de
adelphi consult GmbH
OBJECTIVE
Following the motto, “Stop failing backward and start failing forward!” “Climate Dialogue” offered a
workshop on dealing and learning from failure. In contrast to the prevailing approach of presenting
success and best cases, this workshop intended to break the taboo. It enabled an open discourse
about failure and its acceptance.
The overall objectives of the workshop were to create a reflection of personal judgment of failures, an
awareness of their potential, plus an opportunity to learn from them. Participants were encouraged and
enabled to fail fast and fail forward. Thereby, the workshop strengthened a culture that values a failure
as a meaningful step towards resilience.
OUTCOMES
Participants left the workshop session with:

Experience of the “Fail Forward” method;

Understanding and awareness of both the normality and meaningfulness of failure;

Knowledge about coping and learning strategies;

Strengthened personal resilience and courage.
METHODOLOGY
Firstly, the “Climate Dialogue” project and the Fail Forward method were presented. Secondly, one
failure story was shared by the City of Copenhagen, who presented their unique (failure) field
experience. Thirdly, participants of the workshop were invited to share a personal failure story with
each other. Finally in a summary discussion, it was discussed, how to develop a more positive and
constructive handling of failure.
CONTRIBUTORS
Facilitators
Minu Hemmati, Senior Associate, Climate Dialogue, adelphi consult GmbH, Berlin,
Germany;
Kora Rösler, Climate Dialogue, adelphi consult GmbH, Berlin, Germany
14:30 - 14:45
Presentation of the “Climate Dialogue” project and introduction of the Fail Forward
method
14:45 - 15:05
Presentation of a “failure story” in the field:
Presenter: Lykke Leonardsen, Head of Climate Unit, City of Copenhagen,
Copenhagen, Denmark
15:05 - 15:35
Conversational exchange about failure stories
15:35 - 16:00
Discussion on the art of handling a failure
The workshop was held under the Chatham House Rule*
*The Chatham House Rule reads as follows:
When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use
the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any
other participant, may be revealed. The world-famous Chatham House Rule may be invoked at
meetings to encourage openness and the sharing of information.
The Chatham House Rule originated at Chatham House with the aim of providing anonymity to
speakers and to encourage openness and the sharing of information. It is now used throughout the
world as an aid to free discussion. Meetings do not have to take place at Chatham House, or be
organized by Chatham House, to be held under the Rule. Meetings, events and discussions held at
Chatham House are normally conducted 'on the record' with the Rule occasionally invoked at the
speaker's request. In cases where the Rule is not considered sufficiently strict, an event may be held
'off the record'.
Who uses the Rule these days?
It is widely used by local government and commercial organizations as well as research organizations.
Can participants in a meeting be named as long as what is said is not attributed?
A. It is important to think about the spirit of the Rule. For example, sometimes speakers need to be
named when publicizing the meeting. The Rule is more about the dissemination of the information after
the event - nothing should be done to identify, either explicitly or implicitly, who said what.
Can I 'tweet' while at an event under the Chatham House Rule?
A. The Rule can be used effectively on social media sites such as Twitter as long as the person
tweeting or messaging reports only what was said at an event and does not identify - directly or
indirectly - the speaker or another participant. This consideration should always guide the way in which
event information is disseminated - online as well as offline.
For more information, ask the organizers or the ICLEI staff present at the session.
Further recommended reading
Climate Dialogue Project:
http://www.ksd.adelphi.de/en/home/dok/2.php