--- title: "Thursday Buzz: How Google Learns From Failure" id: "42640" type: "post" slug: "thursday-buzz-how-google-learns-from-failure" published_at: "2018-05-17T21:52:59+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T21:57:48+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/05/17/thursday-buzz-how-google-learns-from-failure/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/05/17/thursday-buzz-how-google-learns-from-failure.md" excerpt: "Google's postmortem process helps their teams turn mistakes into valuable learning experiences. Also: Podcasts could help to boost event attendance." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "E-learning" - "Leadership" - "Self-improvement" - "visa process" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Thursday Buzz: How Google Learns From Failure It’s true that our failures are often our greatest learning experiences, but to benefit practically from them, it helps to have a process in place. Google recently unveiled its internal process for learning from mistakes, called “postmortem,” [reports Inc (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/meet-postmortem-googles-brilliant-process-tool-for-learning-from-failure.html) . Google staffers first determine if they actually need a postmortem by establishing criteria for a major problem. Not all mistakes or failures are significant enough to warrant a thorough debrief. If one is needed, the team makes sure to keep a positive tone by not playing the blame game. “Removing blame from a postmortem can enable team members to feel greater psychological safety to escalate issues without fear,” say [Google staffers (opens in a new tab)](https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/postmortem-culture-how-you-can-learn-from-failure/) in a recent blog post. Instead, focus on growth and improvement. “To get team members to buy into the philosophy of continuous improvement, team leads must admit their own mistakes and failures and be willing to document these,” writes Justin Bariso in *Inc*. ### Power of Podcasts > [#Podcasts (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Podcasts?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > are a fantastic amplifier for event marketing messages and help attendees remember and apply more of what they learned at your conference. [https://t.co/oAc2oPDirx (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/oAc2oPDirx) > [pic.twitter.com/b9plsijYos (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/b9plsijYos) > > — mdg (@mdgsocial) [May 17, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/mdgsocial/status/997145011623026689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **You may have already considered launching a podcast** to get the word out about your organization, but podcasts can also be a recruitment tool for events. If your organization lands popular keynote speakers, leverage their prestige and expertise in a podcast. “Most speakers would welcome this added exposure, and it’s a nice way to give your event audience a taste of what they’ll enjoy at your conference,” says Donna Kastner in a recent [Experient blog post (opens in a new tab)](https://blog.experient-inc.com/2018/05/02/want-to-boost-event-attendance-loyalty-launch-a-podcast/) . “For some speakers, the added exposure might help you negotiate a more favorable speaker fee.” ### Other Links of Note **Your Instagram posts have just become more shareable.** According to *TechCrunch*, the platform is allowing users to [re-share someone else’s post on Stories (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/17/instagram-officially-launches-re-sharing-of-posts-to-stories/) . **Have you noticed something different about the snippets in Google search results?**Google confirmed to *Search Engine Land* that [it has shortened the average snippet (opens in a new tab)](https://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-it-shortened-search-results-snippets-after-expanding-them-last-december-298196) , reversing a decision last December to let them run longer. **While VR tech still has a long way to go,** nonprofits are already using it to provide rich experiences. *BizTech* [shares how (opens in a new tab)](https://biztechmagazine.com/article/2018/04/how-nonprofits-use-vr-to-bring-their-causes-to-life) . (SpVVK/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#E-learning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/e-learning/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#Self-improvement](https://associationsnow.com/tag/self-improvement/) [#visa process](https://associationsnow.com/tag/visa-process/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoASAE Annual Meeting 2012 Ignite Sessions – The Art of Letting GoSeptember 21, 2012](https://associationsnow.com/2012/09/21/asae-annual-meeting-2012-ignite-sessions-the-art-of-letting-go/) - [TemplateMembers onlyEthical Decision Making ModelDecember 12, 2017](https://associationsnow.com/2017/12/12/ethical-decision-making-model/) - [VideoThere is No Such Thing as Bad LuckAugust 29, 2013](https://associationsnow.com/2013/08/29/there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-luck/) - [VideoCarpe Annum: What New Year’s Resolutions Taught Me about Embracing LifeMarch 27, 2013](https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/27/carpe-annum-what-new-years-resolutions-taught-me-about-embracing-life/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F05%2F17%2Fthursday-buzz-how-google-learns-from-failure%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !