A typical project review is done “post-mortem” \u2013 after the fact, and well past any opportunity to change the outcome.<\/p>
You finish a project, and then you study it to determine what happened. From there, you decide which processes to keep and what you’ll do differently next time.<\/p>
That may help the next project \u2013 but it’s too late for the project you’ve just finished: you may have used too much time and too many resources in the project being reviewed, and you could have avoided some of this if you’d done a review part of the way through.<\/p>
Wouldn’t it be better to evaluate along the way \u2013 so that you can capture lessons learned after each milestone, and improve performance immediately?<\/p>
Organizations of all types, across all industries, could benefit from an ongoing review process. The After Action Review (AAR) process was developed by the military as a way for everyone to learn quickly from soldiers’ experiences in the field.<\/p>
With this system, critical lessons and knowledge are transferred immediately to get the most benefit. The “field unit” has an opportunity to talk about what happened, and other teams can then use this experience right away. In this way, the performance of the whole organization improves in a timely manner.<\/p>\n\n
AARs provide an opportunity to assess what happened and why. They are learning-focused discussions that are designed to help the team and the organization’s leaders discover what to do differently. For example, when conducting organization-wide training, you might complete an AAR after the first training session to analyze what to do better in the next session. Or, if you’re changing your manufacturing process, you could do an AAR after completing the first 100 units, instead of finishing the entire run.<\/p>
Depending on the nature and size of a project, you may actually do the AAR after completion. The common factor is applying the AAR process to all recurring, or repeating, events and activities, as well as those that pose a challenge. The AAR approach supports a continuous learning culture \u2013 and the desire to find and use best practices and innovative approaches.<\/p><\/div><\/div>
It’s important to note that AARs aren’t limited just to large or formal projects. You can use them after staff meetings or regular operational functions, like month-end accounting. Also, when a safety incident occurs, an AAR can reveal important lessons.<\/p>
An added benefit of the After Action Review process is improved communication and feedback within teams themselves. Because the focus is on learning instead of blaming, the process itself leads to improved understanding of team performance, and helps people think about how best to work together to produce better results.<\/p>
The AAR process is related to the Deming Cycle, or Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)<\/a>, and it’s a great addition to any continuous improvement initiative. The Deming Cycle is a broader approach to solving problems and managing change. AAR is a useful tool that works with PDCA, but they’re not substitutes for one another.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n An AAR is a structured meeting that does the following:<\/p> For the AAR process to be successful, the team needs to discover for itself the lessons provided by the experience. The more open and honest the discussion, the better. Here are some of the key elements of an effective AAR:<\/p> Discussion questions typically center around three themes:<\/p> Start by getting participants to agree on what was supposed to happen. If the original objectives were unclear, then it’s unlikely that the project or activity was very successful. <\/p> Once you have agreement, you can discuss actual versus intended results. You may need to return to the objectives as you move on to what worked and what you would do differently.<\/p> Remember to ask open questions, so that participants don’t think that there’s a “right” or “wrong” answer:<\/p> Sometimes it’s helpful to have participants each write down their ideas, and then ask everyone to share. This helps you avoid groupthink<\/a>, and it allows quieter individuals to contribute.<\/p><\/div><\/div> Write the key discussion questions on a whiteboard or flipchart. This helps participants focus on the main purpose of the meeting.<\/p> See our articles on running effective meetings<\/a> and managing conflict in meetings<\/a> to learn how to do these things effectively.<\/p><\/div><\/div> After Action Reviews provide an effective approach for capturing lessons learned from activities and projects.<\/p> Rather than waiting until the end of a long project to evaluate how well the team did, AARs incorporate continuous learning right from the start. They’re also great for ensuring that the lessons learned from one project or team are shared with the rest of the organization, with a view to improving overall performance.<\/p> Continuous improvement helps us handle the changes that are happening around us. AARs help us keep open a steady dialog about learning and improvement. They also allow organizations to learn and adapt, so that they can keep up with \u2013 and stay ahead of \u2013 change.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Monitoring and evaluating are common activities. But your methods and timing can make all the difference. Learn how the AAR process ensures continuous learning and improves organizational performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"product-content-category":[6986],"product-content-type":[2580],"reading-time":[5126],"class_list":["post-59636","product-content","type-product-content","status-publish","hentry","product-content-category-project-risks-troubleshooting-review","product-content-type-article","reading-time-8-minutes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nConducting an After Action Review<\/h2>\n\n
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