Hi All - I'm working on process improvement in the eCommerce industry and am implementing Lessons Learned for the first time at this company. I'm very familiar with how to gather and document the information but I'm wondering if any of you have tips on how to get a concept like this accepted. Any suggestions? Saving Changes...
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Rob MartinConsulting (Contract)| Microsoft (Thailand)Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani, Thailand
Lessons learned are a key part of an end to end project method. Learning lessons, as you well know, helps the organisation avoid the issues again in the future.
In order to gain acceptance, I believe, that the Management must be sold on the idea. When the Management of the Organisation want to learn lessons (Both good and bad) and apply them, then they have made an important evolutionary step forward in my opinion.
So when you have done your lessons gathering, I'd present them in a Management format to the Management group, with a small, but pointed blurb about the lessons, and how to apply them.
They may not be interested and that is sad, but these progressions start from the top down, even if you have to nudge them along the way.
Cheers Saving Changes...
Michael WoodProject Manager / Business Analyst / Business Process Improvement Guru| Independent ContractorGig Harbor, Wa, United States
Jennifer, send me your email and I will send you my workshop on BPI. Also, if you are in the USA send me your postal address and I will mail you out my book. [email protected].
Getting BPI accepted isn't the issue. We spend far too much time educating people on methods when we should be focused on helping them achieve the outcomes they desire. If we are viewed as the people that can deliver the goods then the methods are up to us.
Do you want the plumber educating you on how to fix the leaky faucet or do you just want it fixed fast, efficiently, and without hassle?
When we try to get management and workers to understand methods and approaches we invite them to reject those methods, make them think about things they don't need to think about.
Now, once success is achieved and you are asked how you did it... then you can reveal your Kung Fu.
All this coming from the consummate BPI evangelist.. go figure Saving Changes...
Brian SotoDirector Project Management Office| NuCO2Stuart, Fl, United States
Hi Jennifer! I echo the other posts and would add the following. What value does a lesson have? Obviously to help us deal with something in the future, avoidance or easy adaptation. Not to be simplistic but organizations are like some living things, I'd like to say humans but not always true. Here's where you can introduce the concept of a learning organization or continuous improvement. So it's really an evolution you are fostering. Taking the lessons learned and applying them to other parts of the oranization, developing continuous improvement teams to further explore opportunities, asking others to post their lessons learned in a common repository for everyone to see, use, and share. Attach the results to the lessons learned and you can accelerate the adoption process. Metrics speak volumes. I think it's really about using information wisely. If you find others that can benefit from your lessons, you have succeeded. The more awareness, the more value. Dessiminate your lessons learned in a structured manner where others are contributing and you will be the architect of a learning organization. You go girl! Saving Changes...
