| If you've ever heard the expression, "Looking back, | | | | or a workaround, record that information to help |
| knowing what we know now, we'd surely have done | | | | people prevent or solve similar dilemmas in the future. |
| things differently" -- that's usually a sign that there | | | | Lessons learned can produce benefits in many areas. |
| were unanticipated events or circumstances that | | | | You can use your repository of lessons learned to |
| came back to bite, haunt, or baffle the participants of a | | | | help your customer service or technical support |
| particular project or undertaking. | | | | personnel solve problems in a just-in-time fashion, for |
| Even if the circumstances were difficult at the time, | | | | example. If your staff or colleagues need to address |
| the good news is that astute observers can later | | | | complex issues on the fly, or troubleshoot technical |
| extract valuable gems of wisdom from the | | | | issues quickly over the telephone, they would need |
| experience, which they can then apply to their greatest | | | | fast access to solutions for similar situations that were |
| advantage going forward. | | | | addressed in the past. |
| 20:20 Hindsight = "Lessons Learned" | | | | 20:20 Foresight = "Best Practices" |
| "Lessons learned" are the perfect 20:20 hindsight that | | | | After capturing a series of lessons learned, the next |
| we frequently have after completing a project or | | | | step is to derive what's called "best practices." What is |
| endeavor. This hindsight is worth its weight in gold if | | | | a best practice? It's a procedure or method that over |
| we mine its special value, but it's absolutely worthless if | | | | time has proven itself to be better than any other |
| we don't make use of what it has to offer. | | | | procedures or methods that you were using to do the |
| When capturing lessons learned, we want to identify | | | | same thing. You could say that it's the very best way |
| what went well, what didn't go well, and why. At this | | | | that you, your group, or your organization has found of |
| point, you might be thinking, "What kind of reason can I | | | | doing something. |
| give to my team that we should be doing this? It | | | | Why do they matter? Best practices are invaluable |
| sounds like a bunch of bureaucratic overhead and | | | | because they're the intellectual assets -- the "secret |
| more things to do. Once the project's finished, we're | | | | sauce" -- that can help organizations remain highly |
| hoping to focus our attention on something else!" | | | | competitive. The ideal approach is to standardize best |
| The value lies in paving the way for future projects, so | | | | practices so the entire organization follows them. You |
| they will experience fewer headaches and setbacks. | | | | could incorporate them into policies, procedures, and/or |
| You don't, however, need to wait until the entire | | | | online task support systems. |
| project finishes. You could capture 20:20 hindsight | | | | One idea is to design a best practice repository that |
| incrementally throughout the project, or very soon | | | | other people can access easily. You don't want that |
| after it's over, while the issues are still fresh. | | | | valuable information to be buried in a file cabinet that |
| What Lessons Should You Capture? | | | | no one knows anything about. The storage area could |
| For any problems that went largely unresolved, for | | | | be in a database, on a Web site, or another highly |
| instance, consider preventative measures that could | | | | visible electronic or physical location. |
| help people work through or avoid the problems in the | | | | Best practice repositories can substantially reduce the |
| future. | | | | negative effects of attrition on the company's |
| Those measures might involve tools to speed up the | | | | intellectual assets, which can be devastating. When |
| work, checklists to make sure people don't skip | | | | people leave because they quit, retire, are laid off, or |
| important steps, and solutions for thorny problems. | | | | were simply temporary contractors to begin with, the |
| Examples: | | | | company's "brain trust" completely vanishes out the |
| -- If people were stymied by complex document | | | | door with them unless their knowledge is being |
| formats, try preparing and pre-testing some document | | | | captured and made available to others. |
| templates that will be much easier to use next time. | | | | In conclusion, by capturing 20:20 hindsight incrementally |
| -- If quality was a issue because people didn't do | | | | and turning it into 20:20 foresight, you will achieve far |
| thorough testing, try creating step-by-step checklists to | | | | greater long-term success than by blissfully ignoring or |
| guide people through the process next time. | | | | forgetting problems, or by simply moving on when a |
| -- If you found components that were supposed to | | | | project or endeavor ends. |
| work together but didn't, and someone found a solution | | | | |