How to Identify Project Lessons Learned

This post's podcast episode is available at Sounder, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.

DO THIS

Ask people to tell stories about what worked well and what could be improved.

BY DOING THIS

–        Select a few people from across all stakeholder groups.

–        Ask them to identify three things that worked well and three that could be improved (and why).

–        Share key themes and associated quotes at leadership and project closure meetings.

Managing the closing of a change project is hard because most leaders and project team members have mentally moved on to their next roles and challenges.

A lessons-learned exercise at the end of a change project is essential for building change capability in your organization. It documents which activities worked and should be repeated by other project teams, and which didn’t and shouldn’t.

The best lessons-learned reviews include members of all stakeholder groups, including leaders, project team members and those going through the change. Ask representatives of each group to write down three things that worked and three that didn’t—and ask them to detail why. Themes will emerge that are best explained by verbatim quotes from the feedback providers.

Scheduling a leader review meeting at the beginning of the project creates an expectation of measurement and a commitment to learning. Booking this meeting into calendars months in advance will increase the likelihood it will happen.

KNOWLEDGE BITES

LESSONS-LEARNED SUMMARY TOOL: What lessons can I learn from this project?

SUCCESS TIP

Holding brief lessons learned session weekly is the best way to maximize benefits and integrate learning into your culture.

The Identifying Project Lessons Learned podcast episode with change management expert Brendon Baker.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and Change with Confidence, host of the Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #projectmanagement #transformation #leadership #lessonslearned #podcasts