Lessons Learned Management Techniques | Episode 397

About this Video

• Video Title: Lessons Learned Management Techniques | Episode 397
• Channel: CorneliusFichtner
• Speakers: Cornelius Fichtner, Elizabeth Haren
• Duration: 00:32:51

Introduction

This podcast episode discusses lessons learned management techniques in project management. The hosts define lessons learned, explore management techniques for capturing and utilizing them, and compare approaches in traditional waterfall and agile methodologies. They also discuss different types of lessons learned meetings and how to effectively document and implement the findings.

Key Takeaways

• Defining Lessons Learned: Lessons learned are organizational knowledge gained from projects, encompassing successes and failures. The crucial aspect is actively using this knowledge for improvement, not just documenting it.
• Management Techniques: Effective management techniques involve people (staffing, training), processes (templates, agendas), and tools/technology (storage, retrieval) for continuous improvement.
• Overcoming Inertia: Organizational culture plays a vital role. Framing lessons learned as cost-saving and efficiency-boosting can encourage adoption. Time constraints and a lack of understanding of the benefits often hinder implementation.
• Process and Methodology: A typical process involves collecting, prioritizing, storing, and reusing lessons. Agile retrospectives offer more frequent reviews compared to the less frequent, often end-of-project, reviews in waterfall. Both approaches have merits, with agile's continuous learning being advantageous for long projects. However, mini-reviews can be integrated into waterfall.
• Types of Meetings: Various names exist (Lessons Learned meetings, agile retrospectives, after-action reviews, post-project evaluation meetings, post-mortems, post-implementation reviews), but the core purpose is to identify what worked, what didn't, and create action plans for future improvement. The choice of terminology should be positive and emphasize continuous improvement.
• Effective Meetings: Formal structures, facilitators, and pre-circulated agendas enhance focus and prevent blame-shifting. Key questions include what worked well, what didn't, what lessons can be learned, and what actions will be taken. Addressing project management processes separately from deliverables can also improve discussions. Pre-meeting communication with potentially problematic individuals can help manage difficult conversations.
• Documentation and Implementation: Meeting minutes, including actions, should be documented. A knowledge base or wiki is ideal for storing and retrieving lessons learned, allowing future projects to leverage past experiences. NASA's lessons learned database is highlighted as a best-practice example. Converting lessons into actionable items (e.g., updating templates) ensures their implementation and prevents them from becoming merely "captured" but not "learned".
• Preventing Methodological Cumbersomeness: Regularly reviewing and pruning lessons learned is essential to prevent the accumulation of unwieldy methodologies. The balance between critical lessons (incorporated into templates) and those integrated into culture or training should be considered.