Consider This
Tips for Leading a Project Debrief

» Communicate the purpose of the debrief: encapsulate learning to apply going forward.

» Ask people to come prepared by bringing their best insights and feedback.

» Bring people together as soon as possible after the end of the project, while memories are fresh.

» Pick an appropriate place, set aside enough time, and set the tone for open and free-ranging discussion with input from all. The debrief meeting isn’t the same as a celebration in a bar or on the golf course.

Four Key Questions to Guide the Project Debrief with Team Members

» Did we get the results we planned for? If not, how did our results differ from our expectations?

» What factors and team behaviors had the greatest impact on the results?

» What are the primary lessons learned from this team effort?

» What would we do differently in the future as a result of this effort and project review?

Export Learning

After-action reviews certainly turn up the heat on learning. To make the learning even more valuable, many EDMs require teams to export learning to others outside the team. Often they contribute to that effort by putting team members on a management team agenda or setting up other opportunities for them to share. The very act of sharing hard-won lessons puts a multiplier effect on what was learned: when the learning is passed on to others who would not otherwise have access to this new know-how, more people have benefited than those initially involved.

Be sure to incorporate these developmental practices in your approach to teams. If you do, you will be well on your way to creating what Lynda Gratton calls “hot spots”—teams that are full of energy and innovation because you engage them in complex work that captures their imagination. As she points out, “The latent energy that you and others have is much more likely to be sparked if the task you are engaged in is complex, ambiguous, and difficult.”