Using "Lessons Learned" in Project Management

It is an old belief that only those people reach the heights of success who learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating them in future; they are dead right! A term, similar to this belief, is related to project management known as "Lessons Learned" and is defined as an assessment or a conclusion, based on the facts and figures related to what went right and wrong throughout the lifecycle of a certain project. In other words, learning gained during or at the end of a project is called 'lessons learned' in project management.

Importance of Lessons Learned

Generally, the lessons learned sessions are carried out near or after project completion, but that is not set in stone. These lessons may be acknowledged and documented during the project's lifecycle at any point.

There are two main reasons for identifying and documenting lessons learned: Use the gained knowledge to prevent repetition of undesirable conclusionsUse and imply gained knowledge to promote the repetition of desirable conclusions

It is imperative that lessons learned regarding project evaluation should be documented, archived and communicated openly with the intention to eradicate the recurrence of avoidable issues in forthcoming projects. Consequences of not documenting and discussing said lessons can increase the likelihood of budget overruns, missed deadlines, scope creep, reduced quality of services and in worst case scenarios, project failures and cancelations.

Not only should it highlight the negative experiences, but the positive ones too. Good ideas and practices that improve efficiency and quality of services should be incorporated while handling projects. Every lesson learned session should at least document the following elements:

Statements clearly explaining the lessons

Project information and other details for referenceA summary of what led to lesson learnedBenefits that are gained from the lesson learnedHow the lesson learned can be implemented or avoided in future projects It is also important to acknowledge the fact that there might be alternative conclusions to the current lessons learned. Since the lessons learned are solely based on the information at hand at the time of project completion, this knowledge and data interpretation might change with the course of time.

Benefits

There are several benefits of conducting a formal lessons learned session, specific to the project and the members associated with it: It provides project teams with data and information that can help them increase the efficiency and effectiveness of future engagementsIt is a powerful and reliable method of sharing ideas that improve the work processes, safety, cost-effectiveness and operationIt helps in improving work performance and management decisions made through every major phase of a projectIt highlights the difficulties and cost overruns endured during the lifecycle of a project and helps in avoiding recurrences of similar events in future projects.

As a project manager, you should take time to analyze the lessons learned and figure out ways to effectively communicate those points to your team members. In order to improve the process of project management and take your team's performance and quality of services to the next level, it is essential to conduct lessons learned session at the end of each project and to evolve from the available knowledge and experience.


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