Post Project
The job is not over until the paperwork is done!
The Project is complete...now what?
So you followed the steps, kept your team involved and motivated and the goal you sought to complete is done. So that’s it, you’re all done, right?
Not at all! One of the most important steps to this process is to examine the outcome of the goal / project and learn from it so the next one will be even more successful and easier to accomplish.
After the project and all the clean up has been done and you have a few moments to breathe, now is the time to collect some important data.
Lessons Learned Data Collection
- Gather your team together. Provide refreshments. Be positive. This isn’t a complaining session
- On a white board or large pad collect the following. Take as much time as you need to pull out all ideas for each of these data points
- What went right?
- What went wrong?
- What could we have done better?
- What should we not do next time?
- How could we improve?
- Talk to someone outside the project team who participated in the project / goal and ask them the same questions as Step 3
- Create and share a final report using the Lessons Learned Worksheet with your team and the Lodge
When starting the next project, refer to this report and incorporate the lessons learned. Each time you use this process, your projects will get easier and be more succesfull.