Learn to fail (and stay happy about it!)

When you enter a new employment position after your PhD, you will enter into a training period where you will encounter a new work environment, new colleagues, and new responsibilities and tasks. Our perfectionist selves will want to do everything flawlessly, but as you enter a new learning phase, chances are that you will make several mistakes at your new workplace, or you might find that you just weren't cut out for this line of work. How do you deal with such experiences?

This workshop teaches you how to deal with making mistakes and failure, how to stay happy about it so that when you happen to fall flat on your face, you fall as gracefully as possible. Happy about failing? That sounds like quite the contradiction. It is not the easiest thing in the world to train yourself in, but it is possible. Look at mishaps as a positive step in personal development. The trainers from Improsa will teach you how to deal with failures and how to change your state of mind when you do dwindle into negative thoughts. They will do this by doing all sorts of playful exercises where you discover the barriers you put up yourself against staying happy. So, in essence, they will show you and practice with you!

Important note:
This 3-hour workshop is meant to address a few things in a playful manner and to get you thinking, not to solve any deeper issues. If you are struggling with a fear of failing that is causing you problems, you might want to consider the free course “Overcoming your fear of failure” or one of the other courses which is offered by the Student Service Centre of our University. It is a more serious, longer running course where deeper issues can be addressed. Individual support is also an option.

Format

An interactive 3-hour workshop.

Learning goals

During this workshop you will:

• Learn to manage setbacks and to deal with mistakes
• Learn how we react to failure and how we can change these perceptions
• Practice situations with professional trainers

Practical information

• There are two sessions on Tuesday 26 January 2027: from 9:00-12:00h and from 13:00-16:00h. (The first enrol-button below is for the morning session, the second one for the afternoon session.)
• A minimum of 6 participants per sessions is required. If one of the sessions has too few participants, the groups may be merged, so please already take this into account when planning your schedule for that day. If the groups will be merged, of course you will be informed in advance.
• The workshop takes place onsite in Groningen
• Details on the location will be shared by email one week in advance