--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: Why Project Debriefs Are a Must" id: "41685" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-why-project-debriefs-are-a-must" published_at: "2018-02-28T22:25:27+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:06:31+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/02/28/wednesday-buzz-why-project-debriefs-are-a-must/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/02/28/wednesday-buzz-why-project-debriefs-are-a-must.md" excerpt: "If you’re looking to improve your organizational processes, lead debriefing meetings after all big projects. Also: Google launches its Slack competitor." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Data Organization" - "Meetings" - "teamwork" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: Why Project Debriefs Are a Must Do you routinely hold debriefing meetings after a big project? It’s a good habit for a smart leader to get into, whether or not the project was successful. Often these meetings, if they happen at all, include only top leadership, but [360 Live Media argues that everyone (opens in a new tab)](https://360livemedia.com/2018/02/15/the-art-of-team-debriefing-4-questions-to-ask-after-every-project/) who had a big part in the project should be included. “Think of this opportunity as primary research about the way your organization operates,” says Bill Zimmer. “The goal is to talk about what worked and what didn’t.” Zimmer suggests letting your team know when you start the project that you plan to debrief later. “Surprises are not a great way to evoke radical candor,” he writes. “Instead, remind your team at the beginning of each engagement that you’ll be hosting a debrief after it’s complete. Be consistent and you’ll start to build a culture of learning and improvement.” And be sure to strike the right tone. A debriefing meeting is not a forum for venting or complaining but should be an “open, honest session with a goal of making the team better.” ### Hangouts Chat [https://twitter.com/TechCrunch/status/968893671394500610 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/TechCrunch/status/968893671394500610) **The competition in the workplace communication platform space is heating up.** Google is rolling out its office collaboration tool, Hangouts Chat, to all G Suite users. [TechCrunch points out (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/28/hangout-chat-googles-slack-competitor-comes-out-of-beta/) that tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and now Hangouts Chat are similar, but each has distinctive elements. “For Google, that means a strong emphasis on AI,” writes Frederic Lardinois. “The best example for this is probably the @Meet bot that helps you schedule meetings and the @Drive bot that keeps you abreast of when files are shared with you or when people request access to one of your own documents.” ### Other Links of Note **Is your association doing enough to cultivate community?** The Velvet Chainsaw blog details how a [sense of belonging can spur people to action (opens in a new tab)](https://velvetchainsaw.com/2018/02/09/developing-association-community-evolves-action/) . **Your website’s “About Us” page**is one of the best ways for people to get to know your organization. Here’s how to make it awesome, [from the Wild Apricot blog (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/2018/02/27/nonprofit-about-us-page) . **In today’s social economy,** how should you be thinking about leadership? An *Inc.* contributor says a [legendary football coach has a key insight (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/how-can-you-tell-someone-has-true-leadership-skills-this-legendary-football-coach-nails-it-with-1-brilliant-sentence.html) . (Rawpixel/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. 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