Every organization, every project manager, every software practitioner should have a goal of executing the next project more effectively than the previous one. One way to achieve that is to systematically look for lessons that can be harvested from previous experience and applied to make the future brighter. This is a characteristic of a learning organization.

During project initiation it behooves the project manager to take some time to contemplate changes to make in the new project approach compared to previous projects. Chapter 14, provides recommendations about how to accomplish this. It’s important to avoid making the common mistakes that bedevil so many projects and their managers. You can learn to avoid these pitfalls by examining the extensive literature on software development and project management. At the same time, look for both industry and local best practices to apply on the new project. It takes effort to thread new ways of working into your plans. It also takes discipline to break old habits. The astute project manager will begin each new project by investing the effort to study, reflect, and chart a steadier course through the project management minefield.

Project managers can’t afford to repeat past mistakes, encountering the same project surprises time after time. Therefore, establish mechanisms to learn as much as possible from each project. Retrospectives provide a structured opportunity to look back at the project, phase, or iteration your team just completed. You might identify practices that worked well so that you can repeat them. You can also learn what didn’t go well so you can make changes.

In addition, you might spot potential risks to look for in the future. The insights gained from retrospectives feed into your organization’s lessons learned collection and its process improvement activities.

Chapter 15, titled "Looking Back, Looking Ahead," describes a retrospective process and offers many suggestions about how to apply it. The messages collected from today’s retrospective will help any manager be more confident and more effective when he initiates tomorrow’s project.