HBR Guide to Project Management (HBR Guide Series)

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 ...