Closing Projects ~

Purpose of documenting Lessons Learned. How do you

conduct a Lessons Learned Meeting as a Project Manager?

The ultimate purpose of documenting lessons learned is to

provide the future project teams and managers with extremely
important information that can increase effectiveness, efficiency
and helps to build on the previous experience that has been
earned by each of the completed projects. If project lessons are
documented and disseminated properly, lessons learned can
provide a very powerful method of sharing ideas and new
innovations for improving work processes, operation, safety,
quality and cost-effectiveness etc. of the ongoing project and
thus will help to improve the management decision making
together with worker performance through every phase of a
project.
They also will help to validate some of the tougher times
endured during the project's life and helps future Project
Managers avoid similar difficulties or methods and processes on
how to tackle such difficulties.
 Before conducting a Lessons Learned Meeting I shall think
about how to effectively document lessons learned from a
project by considering these types of questions:

1. What was learned about the project in general?

2. What was learned about project management?
3. What was learned about communication?
4. What was learned about budgeting?
5. What was learned about procurement?
6. What was learned about working with sponsors?
7. What was learned about working with customers?
8. What was learned about what went well?
9. What was learned about what did not go well?
10. What was learned about what needs to change?
11. How will/was this incorporated into the project?

I will also try to draw on both positive experiences on Lessons

learned – like 'Good Ideas', that improve project efficiency or
save money and 'Negative Experiences', where lessons are
learned only after an undesirable outcome has already occurred.
Every documented lesson learned should contain at least the
undermentioned general elements:

Project information and contact information for additional detail

A clear statement of the lesson

A background summary of how the lesson was learned

Benefits of using the lesson and suggestion on how the lesson

may be used in the future

At any point during the project life cycle, the project team and
key stakeholders may identify lessons. The lessons learned are
compiled, formalized, and stored through the project's duration.
Upon project completion, a lessons learned session is conducted
that focuses on identifying project success and project failures
and include recommendations to improve future performance on
projects.
The lessons learned session is typically a meeting that includes:

1. Project team
2. Selected stakeholder representation including external
project oversight, auditors, and/or QA
3. Project support staff

Lessons learned on any project is a great way to learn what all

key stakeholders think went right and wrong on the engagement.
The key is to really make it about learning now so that we can
continue to improve project delivery performance on the next
project and thereafter.

So, before planning a 'Lessons Learned Meeting' I shall examine

the necessary steps/process for conducting it successfully.

1. Plan Beforehand - As a good meeting facilitator I shall plan

things ahead of time rather than just being proactive before the
meeting which will include planning an appropriate date, time
and location and get it approved by the key stakeholders. These
days for such a meeting even seeing each other isn’t necessary
as we have the options and technology of a conference call
which should do unless it is combined with some major large
scale project event (like Government or multiple nation projects)
where people may need to meet up.

2. Notification through Prior Information - I shall ensure to

despatch prior information to the team and all stakeholders for
review. It will help them come to be more prepared and more
understanding of the overall focus of the meeting before the
session, making the meeting and information to be shared more
focused and help to be more productive.

3. Getting response & feedback - I shall ensure to get feedback

from the planned stakeholders regarding the agenda for
discussion in the meeting. Many won’t need more info, but a
few may still need direction or key attendees may request a date
change so that they can attend. Whatever feedback we receive –
even if it’s simple comments on the pluses and minuses I shall
send it out to get the party prepared – which will be very helpful
to the overall goals of the meeting. The mission is to share
information and do it in a timely and controlled fashion and
setting.

4. Organise and Conduct - Next, I shall proceed with the lessons

learned meeting which will include but not restricted to taking
important notes or have someone on the team take notes/minutes
of meeting – it has to be someone who went through the
different phases of the project and experienced the ups and
downs in it so that they will understand the discussion and any
comments being made on them. We need to remain conscious
from lots of empty head nodding – or head shaking as part of
collective behaviour.

5. Follow up & Review - Finally, we need to do the follow-up

and review after any important meeting or discussion with the
minutes and notes from the meeting and send those out to all
attendees and proposed attendees who might have missed
attending the meeting. The key is always to make sure that every
stakeholder has a say and that everyone is on the same page at
the end of the day. I shall definitely ask for feedback with 24
hours from the meeting as human beings are generally forgetful,
revise my notes and send back out one final time.

The Final Summary - Lessons learned is all about understanding

what we did “right” earlier and what we could have done
“better.” It’s not just about finger-pointing at others mistakes,
but it’s about learning from those mistakes which were mostly
unintentional.