I'm setting up a lessons learned process in my organization:
- What are the specific ways you are managing lessons learned?
- What are the best practices used to gather lessons learned? How are they gathered? How do you encourage participation and avoid the blame game?
- How do you set up the repository to retrieve and use lessons learned information on future projects? Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Sep 12, 2022 2:34 PM
Replying to Oscar Vega
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Indeed Roland. If the identified lesson has lead to an action (eg: to edit a procedure of the company), and the action implemented, the lesson has been learned by the company!
It depends on what you mean by "action implemented", Oscar. If you mean that the company procedure has been updated then you're only half way there.
There are many company processes that are not followed by its employees and managers. (That's the reason we still need auditors.) When that happens, all your lessons learned go out the door.
The trick is in making sure that the company staff is aware, understands and uses the updated processes.
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1 reply by Roland Vander Straeten
Sep 14, 2022 5:27 PM
Roland Vander Straeten
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Stéphane, I was very careful in the example. If specifically a ISO 9001 process is edited or generated, it automatically attracts the attention of the ISO9001 auditor.
Saving Changes...
Mark BelcikPrincipal Engineer| Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Sewer DistrictCincinnati, Oh, United States
If the process is updated and employees are trained I would check it off as learned. Longterm the auditors or quality control can deal with compliance issues. Saving Changes...
It depends on what you mean by "action implemented", Oscar. If you mean that the company procedure has been updated then you're only half way there.
There are many company processes that are not followed by its employees and managers. (That's the reason we still need auditors.) When that happens, all your lessons learned go out the door.
The trick is in making sure that the company staff is aware, understands and uses the updated processes.
Stéphane, I was very careful in the example. If specifically a ISO 9001 process is edited or generated, it automatically attracts the attention of the ISO9001 auditor. Saving Changes...
Oscar VegaGeneral Program Manager| Thales Spain (Retired)Collado Villalba, Madrid, Spain
Dear colleagues, indeed the auditors will highlight if the ISO´s are not followed, this is their job. But the change I refer to is more profound, Is a change in the mindset, in the culture of the company and its employees (specially the PM´s). If this change cristalize the lesson is learned. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
HAHA this is so ironic. There are comments about searching and the whole forum being a lessons learned archive. To a great extent, this is true and the irony lies in the fact that it actually demonstrates how useless the age-old approach of documenting and implementing lessons learned after the fact is.
How to we normally do it? We tell people to use xyz tool to carefully document the lesson, then we review in abc ceremony and we possibly implement what we have learned. And that's about as useful as hair gel on a diving expedition. The lesson we learned should be addressed there and then. Document them, discuss them, and then put flowers on their grave. It is so laughable that we still harp on a proven method that has never ever worked.
FIX IT NOW OR REMOVE IT.
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1 reply by Oscar Vega
Sep 20, 2022 5:00 AM
Oscar Vega
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Hello Anton,
could you share with us, which method do you suggest or use for the LL?
Saving Changes...
Oscar VegaGeneral Program Manager| Thales Spain (Retired)Collado Villalba, Madrid, Spain
Sep 20, 2022 4:03 AM
Replying to Anton Oosthuizen
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HAHA this is so ironic. There are comments about searching and the whole forum being a lessons learned archive. To a great extent, this is true and the irony lies in the fact that it actually demonstrates how useless the age-old approach of documenting and implementing lessons learned after the fact is.
How to we normally do it? We tell people to use xyz tool to carefully document the lesson, then we review in abc ceremony and we possibly implement what we have learned. And that's about as useful as hair gel on a diving expedition. The lesson we learned should be addressed there and then. Document them, discuss them, and then put flowers on their grave. It is so laughable that we still harp on a proven method that has never ever worked.
FIX IT NOW OR REMOVE IT.
Hello Anton,
could you share with us, which method do you suggest or use for the LL?
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1 reply by Anton Oosthuizen
Sep 20, 2022 10:24 AM
Anton Oosthuizen
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A lesson learned should be implemented immediately after review and not after the project has been completed as is the norm. Agile scrum does help to do this to some extent (within the smaller team) during retros but often even this fails to deliver value. Lessons are raised and discussed in a meeting/retro/review only to be documented and forgotten. We are very good at talking and documenting, not so much with implementation. So the implementation of the solution to a lesson learned should be immediately and not when we have the 'time' to do so. If you do not have time to fix something now, what makes you think you will have the time later?
Use whatever method works to document your lesson learned ( and there are hundreds) but implement the fix NOW. Without proper implementation is it just a lesson, nothing was learned. It is only when it is successfully implemented that it becomes 'learned'.
BTW. The reason why lessons learned archives are so important is that we need to go back to find what the lessons are that we were supposed to learn but since we never implemented a fix we never learned anything. If we implement the lessons as we find them there would be no, or very little need for extensive lessons learned archives as these changes will be documented as part of the change management, or scope management process Historically the lessons learned log is only a reminder for us to do what we said we do not have the time to do now. Once done the log has very little value.
Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Sep 20, 2022 5:00 AM
Replying to Oscar Vega
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Hello Anton,
could you share with us, which method do you suggest or use for the LL?
A lesson learned should be implemented immediately after review and not after the project has been completed as is the norm. Agile scrum does help to do this to some extent (within the smaller team) during retros but often even this fails to deliver value. Lessons are raised and discussed in a meeting/retro/review only to be documented and forgotten. We are very good at talking and documenting, not so much with implementation. So the implementation of the solution to a lesson learned should be immediately and not when we have the 'time' to do so. If you do not have time to fix something now, what makes you think you will have the time later?
Use whatever method works to document your lesson learned ( and there are hundreds) but implement the fix NOW. Without proper implementation is it just a lesson, nothing was learned. It is only when it is successfully implemented that it becomes 'learned'.
BTW. The reason why lessons learned archives are so important is that we need to go back to find what the lessons are that we were supposed to learn but since we never implemented a fix we never learned anything. If we implement the lessons as we find them there would be no, or very little need for extensive lessons learned archives as these changes will be documented as part of the change management, or scope management process Historically the lessons learned log is only a reminder for us to do what we said we do not have the time to do now. Once done the log has very little value. Saving Changes...
Housam KremaCorporate Strategy Specialist | Libyana Mobile PhonesTripoli, Libya
Jul 13, 2022 6:02 PM
Replying to Angie Lehmann
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Samuel, Do you think it would be beneficial to add at least two lessons learned from prior projects into your new project's charter? Then eventually, over time you could refer to old projects by looking at the project charter associated with that particular project. It would be a good way to align one project with a similar project as well. e.g. a building project from 5 years ago could be referenced for a new building project. Or, a software project charter from last year could be referenced for a new upcoming software project. Might be easier than looking through a repository of lessons learned. Just an idea! Good Luck!
Angie, this is really very nice idea thanks for sharing that. Saving Changes...
Vijay SuryavanshiProject Manager - Engineering| RECARO Aircraft SeatingPlantation, Fl, United States
Emphasize the fact that you are doing this to learn for future projects. If this doesn't work. here is what you can do.
Interview or converse with the team informally, as to what they think well and what didn't? Hear the cues and talks with- in the team and with different departments.
Were the requirements gathered well from customer and was there proper documentation?
Did the departments communicate well and work together?
Did the team follow the processes?
If the team were to redo the project (that cost more money or schedule slippage) how would the team do things differently now?
Were there any test failures? (Which the team did not anticipate as a risk.)
The above questions must lead you to at least some of the answers that you are looking for. Saving Changes...
