Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Lessons Earned
Project leaders and teams members must capture lessons learned when they occur.
Abandon the idea that comprehensive lessons learned can be produced at the end of a project. Instead, develop a culture, a methodology and tools for creating project logs, then refine these as the project proceeds. This repository of team memory can be used to document critical decisions and train new team members. It will also form the basis for a "lessons learned" document at the end of the project.
Individual project managers can each create their own log or a project office could create one all-encompassing log. For example, make entries in the project log at several key points in a project:
> At the end of each major phase, as hand-over notes for the next group, noting areas of concern, decisions still to be made, etc.
> Whenever key decisions are made or changed, to document rationale
> Whenever key targets or deliverables change, to identify why this happened, what was decided and whether follow-on work is needed
Project logs are useful for making decisions and rationales available to the entire team. As project phases are debriefed and documented, the team will gain in confidence and cohesiveness. The logs also remove the pressure at project's end to document lessons learned. Says one survey respondent, "All you have to do…
Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.
ADVERTISEMENTS
|
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception." - Groucho Marx |