TEDxYYC – David Damberger – Learning from Failure
Posted by James on January 27, 2013 · 20 Comments
David Damberger discusses “Learning From Failure” at TEDxYYC 2011. David is the founder of Engineers Without Borders Calgary (EWB). After building the organization in Calgary and working with them in India, David spent four years building EWB’s overseas programs as the Director of Southern African Programs. In this role, David consulted for dozens of African based companies, non-profits and governments in the fields of agriculture; food processing; water and sanitation; and mobile applications for development. David currently works as a corporate strategy consultant and is a co-founder of Ethical Ocean, an e-commerce marketplace for the worlds top fair-trade, eco-friendly and sweatshop free products. David holds a degree in engineering and a minor in entrepreneurship from the University of Calgary. He is also a Social Entrepreneuship MBA candidate at the University of Oxford. Recently, David was recognized as the youngest member of the Top 40 Alumni in the History of the University of Calgary. David will be drawing on his work experience in Africa to speak about the transformative power of publicly admitting failure in the development aid sector which currently lacks accountability, creativity and transparency. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark …
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Well. If you REALLY do want to help? them, become a manager? of those water suppliers by yourself. That’s the best way. At least, you can try to visit them one time in? 2 months.
Not just calling them a year later to check it and do a presentation about failure on youtube.
PROBLEM SOLVED.
I do think the question should also be what is the point of aid? If aid? is about ensuring and maintaining dependence then no, it hasn’t failed. It is unfortunately working splendidly. And really, doesn’t that explain why organizations full of professionals and really smart people enact dead-end projects over and over and over again?
I think teacher? salaries are sexy…
Because the mortality rate there is so high that birth control would wipe the people out, maybe? Use? your bloody head before asking inane questions, right?
To be honest, I think that not only NGOs but? also GOs are long overdue this honesty infusion of which you speak.Excellent question you relay here. We all know the answer to that one: nobody.
I’m trained as? a psychologist, but I actually started out in engineering. And I remain an engineer at my core, really: I take an engineering approach to my practice of psychology. So I can honestly say that I felt myself tearing up also at that point.
Yes, I also know the propaganda stuff – it’s done against psychologists too. And the good ones among us ‘give a very big fuck’ about the outcomes of our work. You and your designs… us and our interventions. Same feelings.
I second those props.
David… inspiring talk, for sure. And dealing with serious issues? surrounding aid programmes and solutions to problems in developing countries. The whole issue of failure is very important: Skinner said that ‘a failure is not always a mistake… it may be the best one can do under the circumstances… the real mistake it to stop trying’. Your attitude towards failure looks positive and is healthy.
I live in a country where failure happens but is never admitted. We need your mind in Finland.
Awesome talk David. I’m with a chapter from EWB Australia and it’s mind boggling to think that you guys also grasps the concept that community development has to be a long-term and sustaining program. We’ve done huge leg work into this and only? now things are falling into fruition. Best of Luck!
What? does this have to do with learning from failure?
My big question when I think about these types of places is: Why do people live where there is no access to fresh water, or live where the land can’t support agriculture?
In other words: Who’s bright idea was it to? build a town in the desert?
You started, through Admitting Failure site, a transparent process that will help everybody. I wished there would have been a law for any NGO to publish a? report about yearly results regarding how it has been reached and maintained the purpose of its existence; the ones caught that have hidden the repeating failure, year by year, on the same project-mission, to be judged for wasting the money and for the damage that they have done.
Wow?
self sustainable. i believe “you can lead a horse? to water but its better if he can find his own way”
After 5 year working for NGO. the only thing i can say? is, NGO stand for Nothing Going On!
As an engineer, I can honestly say that I felt myself tearing up when he admitted the failure of his project.
Despite the propaganda to the contrary, we give a very big fuck about the lifespan of our designs. We pour our hearts into our designs, and when they fail, it hurts.
Props to David for standing up and admitting his mistakes and the failure of his design, it takes a? lot more than most people realise.
This kid is great. Anyone who can get an old skeptic like me to sit up and take notice is getting somewhere.? Engineers have made the world wealthy; they have the talent to save it too. The rest of us should get out of the way and get behind them.
A prime example why just throwing money at the issue does not work, you have to be willing to give more than some low % of your pay check or income to help. Like input, knowledge time etc.
Instead of just giving them aid and baby feeding them like dependent and useless infants, give them the ability to take care of themselves better on their own. In the end it will cost less money and? bring much more good.
refreshing, insightful, the concept is new and the lesson really valuable.?
Find deaf? support, friends, love here.
—DeafLoves dot c om—
As an aid worker, my motto is: Make sure you make new mistakes, not old ones. Many people (myself included) feel the NGO sector is long overdue for an infusion of honesty about how hard this work is and just how many mistakes are made, unfortunately some over and over again. Some lessons? we have to learn for ourselves. Others, however, are entirely avoidable. As someone once said to me, “Who can afford endless learning at the cost of the suffering of people?”