WEBVTT

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JustLearn. Learn from a failed experiment without inventing a lesson. An outcome

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becomes useful when you describe what happened accurately, including the parts it

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cannot explain. This edition uses synthetic narration.

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Record the attempt before polishing the story. A workshop attracts fewer people

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than expected. It is tempting to announce a neat conclusion: the topic

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was wrong, the audience was uninterested or the publicity failed. Any might

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be relevant, but the outcome alone does not select one explanation. Record

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the actual attempt: who was invited, what was offered, when it happened,

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how people could respond and what you observed. Include practical complications. The

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description may be less satisfying than an immediate lesson, but it gives

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the next decision firmer ground.

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Distinguish a result from a cause. Low attendance tells you something about

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this event under these conditions. It does not automatically establish that nobody

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wants the subject. Perhaps the date was awkward, the invitation unclear or

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the audience different from the one you intended to reach. Avoid the

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opposite mistake of protecting the idea from every possible criticism. Ask which

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explanations are plausible and what information could help distinguish them. A brief,

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respectful question to people who considered attending may be more useful than

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a long meeting in which the organisers repeatedly restate their preferred theory.

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Change something deliberately. If you try again, identify the important adjustment and

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what you hope to learn from it. Changing the audience, format, price,

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timing and subject all at once may create a better event, but

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it will make it harder to know which change mattered. Not every

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disappointment warrants another experiment. You may decide the available time or value

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does not justify it. The point is to make that decision from

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an honest account. A failed attempt does not owe you an inspirational

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lesson. Sometimes its contribution is a narrower finding, a better question or

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a sensible reason to stop before committing more resources.

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A question to take with you. What did this attempt show, and

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what am I only guessing about why it happened? First published by

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JustLearn. Read the original article at justlearn dot online.