The HBR Guides Collection (8 Books) (HBR Guide Series)

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Chapter 21

Capturing Lessons

Learned

by Ray Sheen

Though every project is different, you can and should al-

ways learn from what you’ve just done. Companies with

a project management offi ce (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 con-

versation, and the next project we ...