Cure to project amnesia

One significant limitation in executing lessons learned is the confinement of this practice to the project team alone. This restricted approach fails to incorporate essential phases such as pre-project planning and benefit realization, preventing the identification of improvement points in these critical areas. This restriction is by no means to be taken lightly. For example, organizations with poor benefit realization maturity waste 67% more money than organizations with high maturity. (3)

Another barrier to comprehensive reflection is the reluctance to address management-related issues openly. Hierarchical structures and power dynamics often inhibit honest feedback, as individuals in positions of authority today may hold similar roles in the future. Consequently, crucial matters like capacity issues, sponsor competencies, and decision-making deficiencies rarely come to management’s attention.

The underutilization of lessons learned can be attributed to management and cultural factors. While processes for capturing lessons may be in place, organizational leaders often fail to prioritize or promote this critical activity, resulting in apathy and a lack of dedicated resources for learning. Consequently, the immense potential benefits of lessons learned remain untapped, stifling growth and improvement.

To break free from the cycle of ineffective lessons learned, organizations are advised to periodically engage external parties to conduct comprehensive project audits. By providing an objective perspective and fresh eyes, external auditors deliver candid feedback and identify improvement points that might be overlooked internally. This approach ensures that lessons learned are captured comprehensively, and improvement points are implemented with sponsor support, empowering organizations to enhance their performance and achieve superior project outcomes.

Furthermore, organizations can integrate project managers into the strategic planning process. This not only fosters buy-in and cultivates a shared understanding of project goals but also creates a valuable avenue for sharing lessons learned, ultimately enriching the decision-making.

Also, the most valuable lessons often emerge from cross-organizational collaboration, including external partners and suppliers. Utilizing collaborative tools and platforms facilitates the capture of diverse perspectives and experiences. It’s about tapping into the collective intelligence of your entire ecosystem. Furthermore, lessons learned are most impactful when they are rooted in data and evidence. Metrics, AI-driven analytics, and quantifiable feedback mechanisms add a layer of objectivity, making the insights more actionable and relevant.

In conclusion, effective lessons-learned initiatives demand a systematic and structured approach over ad hoc and informal efforts. By implementing a structured process supported by management, organizations ensure that every project, whether successful or challenging, contributes to a collective reservoir of knowledge and prevents the repetition of mistakes.

(1) Schindler, M., & Eppler, M. J. (2003). Harvesting project knowledge: A review of project learning methods and success factors. International Journal of Project Management, 21(2003), 219 – 228.

(2) Threon®; (2023). Strategy execution benchmark results – Threon

(3) PMI®; (2023). Pulse Pulse of of the the Profession® Profession® 2023: 2023: – PMI.

(4) Williams, T. (2007) Post-Project Review to Gain Effective Lessons Learned, Project Management Institute, Newtown Square, PA.