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Chapter 21

Capturing Lessons Learned

by Ray Sheen

Though every project is different, you can and should always learn from what you’ve just done. Companies with a project management office (PMO) conduct a lessons-learned session—sometimes called a postmortem or an after-action review—as a formal part of each project’s closeout. Those without a PMO typically share insights informally, as team members reminisce. Either way, it’s important to capture learning while the experience is still fresh.

For example, I recently led a small project that lasted only a few months, and the team gathered for a dinner immediately after we wrapped things up to talk about what went right and what went wrong. It was a great conversation, and the next project we do ...