8. Learning About Failure with Ashley Good
Hosts Aine McGlynn and Lizz Bryce discuss the complexities of failure within nonprofit organizations, particularly in the context of technology. Guest Ashley Good, founder of Fail Forward, centers the conversation on the inevitability of failure and how it can be a powerful learning tool.
Ashley shares personal anecdotes, professional insights, and practical exercises for nonprofits to practice healthy reactions to failure and cultivate a supportive organizational culture. Key topics include reframing failure as learning, practicing debriefs on successes, and the importance of compassion in overcoming failure’s emotional impact.
00:30 Getting Vulnerable: Personal Failures
03:33 Transforming Failure into Learning
05:37 Introducing Ashley Good: The Failure Expert
06:28 What is a Failure Consultancy?
08:31 Ashley Good’s Journey to Embracing Failure
10:32 A Powerful Story of Redemption
14:24 The Emotional Weight of Failure
20:51 Practicing Failure in Organizations
27:26 Tackling Challenges Head-On
27:44 Balancing Easy and Hard Tasks
28:51 Individual vs. Organizational Failures
32:01 The Role of Compassion in Failure
34:59 Practical Techniques for Embracing Failure
36:25 Final Thoughts and Reflections