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).

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) 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) 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) pic.twitter.com/b9plsijYos  (opens in a new tab)

— mdg (@mdgsocial) May 17, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

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). “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).

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), 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).

(SpVVK/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)