COURSES

All Scuola di Fallimento activities – both those fully designed and managed by us, and those created and run together with like-minded business owners and organisations – are based on 5 “principles”:

1. We are all more valuable than we think we are
2. Any question is the right question
3. We learn from our mistakes
4. All you need to take part is a curious mind
5. Sharing in a safe space

and a rule: that of the impartial spectator.

1. We are all more valuable than we think we are: regardless of role, gender or age, our individual contribution carries the same weight and value as contributions made by other people. We believe in the power of creative ignorance, which is not incompetence, but the ability to offer an alternative point of view thanks to a vision that brings together our subjective experience and soft skills. We appreciate those who admit they don’t know something but are willing to seek it out.

2. Any question is the right question: knowing how to ask the right questions is certainly more difficult than knowing how to approximate an answer. But we strongly believe in the power of question marks, and we think there are no wrong questions, rather answers that lead straight to a dead end. It’s only the whys, the uncertainties and doubts that open us to all possible directions and allow us to go beyond boundaries.

3. We learn from our mistakes: mistakes are an integral part of the awareness and learning process. No one is error free, and no area is immune to human uncertainty. Mistakes are therefore not only the subject of our learning, but they are a resource, the means through which we learn and a new direction for gaining a different understanding.

4. All you need to take part is a curious mind: for a strange play of phonetic assonances, the original idiom-proverb “care killed the cat” (worry killed the cat) mutated into “curiosity killed the cat”. We believe that curiosity, without preconceived expectations, is the lever for action and the reason for our whys. Curiosity is supported, appreciated and valued within each of our learning experiences.

5. Sharing is important; in a psychologically safe environment, it’s better: sensitive issues such as error and failure can be difficult to discuss, and the relevant experiences difficult to talk about. We believe in the power of sharing and guarantee an open, non-judgemental environment, free from prejudice, free from “destructive” criticism, where ideas and experiences can be openly discussed counting on active listening and confidentiality.

These 5 principles underpin a rule, which is the impartial spectator rule: taking part in activities needs to be a free choice and voluntary. If a person does not feel comfortable with a specific topic or a specific learning method, he or she can take on the role of the spectator acting as an observer. And he or she will be entitled, at any point during the activity, to abandon the role of spectator and to really get involved and take up the challenge.