Rethinking team learning

The most common tool, adopted from the US military is the “After-Action Review” (AAR). After the conclusion of a project or episode, the team shares what went well, what didn’t go well, and what should be done differently next time. This process is recommended regardless of success or failure. There is no doubt that for project teams with a clear task and goal, this tool will work well. Five questions ensure that lessons are learnt, and changes made for the next time. However, for more complex projects with ambiguous or changing goals, the AAR is limited by two things: its timing, and its focus on task.

Timing the review: After an event is over, people and teams are already rewriting history to justify the outcome. That history will be different according to the…