LESSONS LEARNED

A lessons learned is a document, in essay or bullet-list form, that notes what did and did not go well on a project.

It should contain an overview of your project and a listing of major activities and should describe what went positive, what went negative, and why for both. It should then be distributed so people truly learn the lessons, and it should not be filled with platitudes and self-promotion.

The lessons-learned document helps you to learn from your mistakes and appreciate your successes. It also has other benefits: it keeps you from repeating mistakes and helps others to avoid them too.

for Lessons Learned

• Develop an outline of the lessons-learned document.
• Contact people for their input on relevant topics.
• Compile the input.
• Draft the document.
• Circulate the document for review.
• Incorporate revisions.
• Distribute the document to the appropriate people.