Lessons Learned: Why They are Often Overlooked and How to Prioritize

“Lessons learned” refers to a retrospective examination of a project, initiative, or process to identify what went well, what went poorly, and what could be improved for future endeavors. It involves analyzing successes, failures, challenges, and unexpected events encountered during the course of the project. The purpose of conducting a lessons learned session is to extract valuable insights, best practices, and recommendations that can be applied to future projects to enhance performance, efficiency, and effectiveness.  

While lessons learned are commonly celebrated as an important step in the project management lifecycle, they are often overlooked.  Project managers (PMs) may fail to successfully implement lessons learned for several reasons: 

1. Lack of time: PMs are often pressed for time as they balance upcoming deadlines and delivering project objectives. As a result, they may deprioritize or neglect the process of capturing and analyzing lessons learned. 

2. Ineffective communication: To be useful, lessons learned must be collected from a wide variety of stakeholders and communicated effectively within the broader organization. If PMs do not successfully communicate insights and experiences with relevant stakeholders, the lessons learned may not be utilized effectively to improve future endeavors. 

3. Resistance to change: Implementing lessons learned may require changes to existing processes, workflows, or organizational culture. PMs may encounter resistance from team members or organizational leaders unwilling to adopt new practices.

4. Lack of accountability: Lessons learned often fall into a grey area, as they are not a direct project deliverable and typically occur after a project is already closed out. Without accountability mechanisms in place, PMs may not feel incentivized to prioritize implementing lessons learned. There may be little recognition or consequence for failing to document and apply insights from past projects. 

5. Overconfidence: In some cases, PMs may believe they already possess sufficient knowledge and expertise to handle future projects effectively. They may overlook the value of learning from past experiences and assume they can rely solely on their own judgment. 

6. Organizational culture: The organizational culture may not prioritize learning and continuous improvement. If the culture does not support knowledge sharing and reflection, PMs may struggle to utilize lessons learned effectively. 

Ensuring that lessons learned reviews occur consistently and effectively requires proactive planning, clear communication, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Below are some best practices to help ensure that lessons learned reviews take place. 

1. Establish standard processes: Integrate lessons learned reviews into your organization’s project management methodology or framework. Define a standardized process for conducting lessons learned reviews at the conclusion of each project or phase. Clearly outline the steps involved, roles and responsibilities, and expectations for participation. Make it a standard practice to schedule these reviews as part of the project closure process. 

2. Allocate time and resources: Allocate dedicated time and resources for conducting lessons learned reviews. Ensure that project schedules allow for sufficient time to reflect on lessons learned. Lessons learned should be collected within a reasonable timeframe of project closeout. Ideally, teams will have a chance to rest and reflect before gathering to discuss lessons learned; however, it’s important hold a lessons learned discussion while the project is still fresh in team members’ minds.  

3. Establish leadership support: Gain support alignment from senior management and project sponsors about the importance of conducting lessons learned reviews. PMs should emphasize the value of capturing insights and improving processes for future projects, highlighting the value they can provide when it comes to long-term business outcomes. 

4. Facilitate open dialogue: Create a safe and supportive environment for open dialogue during lessons learned reviews. Encourage participants to share their perspectives, experiences, and recommendations without fear of judgment or reprisal. PMs may want to consider avenues for participants to provide anonymous feedback, either through surveys or interactive online platforms like Miro or Mural.

5.  Follow up on action items: Ensure that action items identified during lessons learned reviews are followed up on and implemented. Assign responsibility for each action item and track progress to completion. Regular follow up will display the importance of the review and build trust. 

6. Evaluate and improve: Periodically evaluate the effectiveness of lessons learned reviews and seek feedback from participants. Use this feedback to make improvements to the process and ensure its ongoing relevance and usefulness. 

7. Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate the successes and achievements resulting from the implementation of lessons learned. Highlight the positive impact of continuous learning and improvement on project outcomes. 

By implementing these strategies, organizations can establish a culture of learning and continuous improvement, where lessons learned reviews are valued and integrated into the project management lifecycle.