Retrospective technique – lessons learned

RETROSPECTIVE TECHNIQUE – LESSONS LEARNED

Written by Business Development Manager, Marina Dooney.

Two weeks ago, we held our monthly training session (internally known as “Before the Pub”), where one employee trains the rest of the business on a topic of their choosing. Megan ran May’s BTP session on a lesson learned technique called retrospective.

In this blog, we will discuss what are lessons learned, their importance in a project, and how to use the retrospective technique to run a lessons learned session.

WHAT ARE LESSONS LEARNED?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), lessons learned is “learning gained from the process of performing the project”. A lessons learned session is usually held at the end of the project, but lessons learned can be documented at any point of the project lifecycle.

WHY ARE LESSONS LEARNED AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO USE IN A PROJECT?

Lessons learned assist with future projects’ success. Project teams can reuse information from previous projects and build on old approaches, while avoiding mistakes.

WHAT IS THE RETROSPECTIVE TECHNIQUE?

Using the retrospective (retro) technique can help you lead a lessons learned session for your project. Retro’s help to identify what worked, what did not work and what you would continue to do (or not do!) in the future. This can lead to improved teamwork and processes moving forward.

HOW TO RUN A RETROSPECTIVE SESSION FOR YOUR PROJECT TEAM?

In our BTP session, Megan followed three simple steps:

Prep – Come prepared to lead the session, and know what you want the group to accomplish.
Ice breaker / set the stage – Lead an ice breaker activity with the group, before initiating the session, this allows everyone to relax and engage in the meeting, with the aim of leading to more open and honest conversations during the retro.
Retro time – conduct the retro session by discussing what went well, what didn’t go well and why, you can also discuss how to move forward after this lessons learned session.