Project Management - Lessons Learned
Taking time out to review the lessons learned from a project is often challenging, however, reflection on past efforts can assist with improving new projects. It is worth building time into the project schedule for a formal lessons learned review. If this type of formal process is not possible then a more simple process is still worthwhile.
A simple project review process is the 'Plus/Delta', it looks at what worked well and what should be changed for next time. It is easy to do, just decide on the categories for the review, e.g. budget, scope, schedule, quality, communication, etc. Then draw up a matrix, similar to this example, on a white board or flip chart. Now assemble an appropriate group of stakeholders and have them brainstorm.
The desired outcome is a list of things that the group agreed either went well or should be changed for next time. This process should not focus on singling out individuals for blame, rather it should focus on improvements to process and learning. It is then relatively easy to share the findings of this process via the project intranet or, even better, by means of a brown bag session with colleagues.
refer to Project Review for more ideas
"The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides (460-404 BC)
