Fast Company: The first time Brené Brown read Theodore Roosevelt's exhortation that it is not the critic who counts, but rather "the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood," and that "if he fails, he at least fails while daring greatly," the author knew that what the pugilistic president was talking about back in 1910 was what she researches today: vulnerability.
5 comments:
This is very crafty. I think in today's world, feelings in general that aren't built in a foundation of strength and power are seen a hindrance. I like that is article is calling bullshit on that. I like the idea that if you are aware of what you are feeling, you can use it to your advantage. I think that this is a very important thing to realize in every line of work and in every relationship. I know that if you are able to use your feelings, like vulnerability, to make you more adept in communicating then on some level you have won. It is a detriment to any relationship when you cannot admit youre wrong or need assistance, I think the sooner people start realizing that they can ask for help and it not be a sign of weakness, the sooner that we can really start helping one another.
What an important article. It is true that many people don't associate the business world with vulnerability, but I think that the fight that people put up to avoid being vulnerable is indeed useless and counter-productive. As the article states, you can either do it or it does you. It is true that it is not vulnerability that is a weakness but instead it is the inability to own, command, and take responsibility for your own vulnerability. " We have to model taking risks and failing." This is so important and I am glad this article take the time explicitly state that. Fail often and fail fast. No better words of advice for development. Another fantastic point this article makes is how uncool it is to be engaged and enthusiastic. In order to succeed, we need to put ourselves out there and have passion.
This article caused me to think about what exactly vulnerability means. Vulnerability is often misinterpreted as weakness. The author in this interview argues that whether or not we know it we are always vulnerable, which is why recognizing and using our vulnerability is key. Every time you invest time in a project where success is questionable, you are vulnerable. The answer is not to only take on projects that have a 100% success rate, because such projects will never accomplish anything innovative or worthwhile. Investing yourself in a project instantly means that you have something to lose, but that is the only way any worthwhile work will ever be accomplished. Vulnerability is an important thing to cultivate, but that can only be done in an environment that is open to ignorance and passion and occasional failure, because without that openness no one will ask the right questions, and no one will suggest an idea so crazy that it just might work.
As performers and designers, we're constantly encouraged to search within ourselves for inspiration for our pieces. And we can't help but get personally attached to them. We can't help but be honest with ourselves, our audiences, and the people we work with. There has to be trust within the team you're working with, and an environment that allows you and everyone involved to be vulnerable without fear of judgement or scrutiny. That's the most efficient way things will get done.
I think this article's statement about embracing shame and vulnerability as part of the idea generation process is incredibly true and something not talked about nearly enough. One of the most fascinating things about it to me is the idea that vulnerability is not just a part of the artistic process (I'd contest that the designers in theater are already more vulnerable), but part of any idea generation or project process. Every manager should read this article and try to interpret what it says into practice, which I think is the most difficult part of this and the article doesn't offer much in the way of practical suggestions. It does say that the best way to engender an embrace of vulnerability among a team may be to embrace it yourself, but how do you go about displaying that?
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