As a project manager, you are asked to facilitate a lessons learned session as part of the project termination process. How would you facilitate this session and what are some guidelines you would use? How would you incorporate and document the information gleaned from this session into future project plans and tools?

Question

Writeacher · Answer

Here's one idea:

You could divide people into groups of 3 or 4 (no larger) and have each group come up with a two-column list -- the pluses and minuses of the project.

Then consolidate all the groups' lists and notice the overlaps. Those that match, whether in the plus column or the minus column, will probably be the strongest impressions of the whole group.

Agree on (or you choose) the three or four strongest points in each column; make each of those points into a large heading on a big piece of paper (or some butcher paper). Hand each individual a package of post-it notes and have them individually write and post their ideas about how to make the strengths stronger and how to make the weaknesses go away or at least become less.

This is all with paper and pen/pencil. Nothing on computer -- yet. Hold this meeting in a computer-less room. You need people talking and thinking and writing, not fiddling around on some gadget!