At the start of each project, be sure to take the time with the project team to review lessons learned from future projects. By applying what you have learned from past projects – for example, more time needed to prepare for certain types of projects given risks involved, certain key skills needed on certain types of projects, a problem resolution process created by a project team to handle a particular project – you are able to more effectively and efficiently manage each project you are assigned; over time reducing timelines, budget and resource needs because you increae your efficiencies. If a project team on a past project spent significant time resolving a technical problem; you would certainly want to have them capture what the problem was and how they resolved it so you could use that information on the next project. Otherwise you end up “reinventing the wheel.” Hope this is of value to you!

Best regards,
Gina

Thanks for your comment. I have been working with a few clients on how to effectively capture and use lessons learned (sometimes I get some who tell me they capture them but that’s all they do – nobody looks at it!). It does have to be a “habit.” You are correct that we need to learn from our past mistakes so we don’t keep remaking them (as I tell clients – that’s what we call experience!) and we can increase the success of our projects by looking at what we did in the past.

Thanks again! I appreciate you taking the time to read the post.

Best regards,
Gina

Ron Rosenhead
Project Agency