As the spring semester came to a close, Michelle Ewing, professor in Kent State University's School of Media and Journalism, took a moment to reflect on a valuable lesson her public relations students gained - the importance of learning from failures.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Ewing shared feedback from her Principles of Public Relations course's final exam, where students at Kent State's College of Communication and Information were asked what they found most valuable from the class. Many cited the conversations with industry guest speakers who discussed their own career mistakes and how they recovered from them.
"Many of the students shared feedback about our guest speakers," Ewing wrote. "While many students appreciated the value of the speakers connecting course concepts to public relations practice, our discussions with the speakers about career mistakes resonated. They recognized it's ok to fail, own up to it and learn from mistakes."
Ewing's post included examples of anonymous student comments, such as: "all shared that failures will come within your profession and it is okay. They all recovered from their professional failures no matter how big or small."
The post thanked more than 15 PR professionals who spoke to the class, all of them Kent State alumni including Anna Rizk, Ben Brugler, Daria Gaither, Meghan Caprez, Hannah Mayer, Denise Kaufmann, Kristyn Hibbett, Bryan Webb, Brady Warmbein, Linden Miller, Zachary Zdanowicz, Sophia Iannelli, Missy Krause, Ciana White and Katia Rodriguez.
These speakers represented PR career paths in entertainment, government, music, sports, global and regional agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations.
The post underscores 2020 research from a team of higher education professionals that found "fear of failure is an intense affectual experience that many students encounter" and which is "vital to engage with the lived experience of failure in the present tense."
LinkedIn Connections React
"If I look back with a rational lens on my life and career – the times when I 'failed' were also the times of most remarkable growth, even when it was painful or embarrassing," wrote Melissa Celko. "If you aren't failing or missing the mark sometimes, you probably aren't growing."
Denise Kaufmann shared a Winston Churchill quote she keeps on her desk: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts."
Kristin Williams commented: "What a critical message to share! We often spotlight the good, the highs, the successes, but not the whole journey. Failure (and rejection) is such a big part of the process and how kind to show these students that now!"
Ben Brugler, CEO of Akhia Communications, said, "And if there's one thing I hope everyone always takes away is my willingness to fail ... and fail fast. Life and experimenting will always be the best teacher once you're out of the classroom!"
For PR professionals and educators alike, embracing moments of failure as opportunities for growth is a crucial mindset. Ewing's students gained first-hand advice for resilience in their future careers.