Learning from the Lessons Learned

“Lessons Learned” is “the knowledge gained during a project, which shows how project events were addressed or should be addressed in the future with the purpose of improving future performance” (PMBOK 5Ed.)

Let’s discuss more about the lessons learned: When and how lessons learned are gathered? How the information is communicated? How the lessons learned can be retrieved for use in future projects?

Gathering Lessons Learned

Perform a lessons learned exercise to bring project team members the opportunity to reflect on events and activities during the project.  In some lessons learned sessions, project sponsor and stakeholders are invited to be part of the exercise.  The main purpose of this session is to identify “what went well” and “even better if” (require improvement).  In traditional projects, project managers gather lessons learned as part of the Closing Stage.  For longer projects, it is recommended to perform more lessons learned sessions across project lifecycle.  Too often team members are ready to move on, or they have forgotten much of what should likely be captured.

Conduct the exercise in a comfortable setting and set ground rules for discussion.  Establish categories for easy grouping such as PM Performance, Risk Management, Staffing, Change Management, and any other category applicable to the project.

For projects related to Lean Transformation, it is recommended to perform a lessons learned exercise at the end of the Kaizen and at the end of the Scale.

Communicating the Lessons Learned

Documented lessons learned should be discussed with the project sponsor and with the Project Management Office (PMO), where available, to determine if any action for improvement is required.  Documentation should include naming the issue, a brief description of the problem or success, the impact on the project (e.g., time, cost, scope, quality, schedule), and the process improvement recommendations.

Then, lessons learned should be communicated to the PM Community in the organization.  This can be performed using available media such as email, PM Community Quarterly Meeting, organization PM News, etc. It’s also important to communicate these lessons learned to the stakeholders. The stakeholders should be a part of the project review so it's a logical step to communicate lessons learned to them.

Retrieving Lessons Learned

A Lessons Learned Database should be established to provide PM practitioners easy retrieval of lessons learned from previous project.  This part is the most important in the Lessons Learned Management System because documented lessons learned have no value if they cannot be archived and retrieved when required for future projects.

Consequences of not having Lessons Learned

Not perform a lessons learned exercise is the increased likelihood of repeating actions that might have caused project failures such as budget overruns, scope creep, reduced quality from expectations, fail schedule, etc.

As a best practice, establish a Lessons Learned Management System in your organization if not available, this is what I call… "Learning from the Lessons Learned".

Comments and/or questions are welcome.