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V O L . X X I I N O. X I I I J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 14 I t should be mandatory at the end of every project — and, if possible, at the end of every phase — to run a lessons learned session. And not only run it, but make sure that it's documented and available to all future projects. Here's how to do it: Be sure that you have an agenda: People hate to come to meetings and not know what is being discussed or for how long. Invite the right people: Do what- ever you can to schedule this so that key stakeholders are available. If some are available remotely or by Skype, fi ne. Better they attend that way than not at all. Meet as soon as possible: Memory is a fl eeting thing. People forget. Strike while the iron is hot and meet no later than two weeks after the close of the project. Keep it short: In addition to running my own sessions, I have solicited input on this from many students. e great majority advise me they can run a lessons learned session in one to two hours. People hate meetings. Keep it short. Solicit input prior to the meeting: is can help you weed out what's important to discuss and look for common themes. Provide multiple ways to participate: Some people are fl at- out just too busy. Can you set up a poll? Or have them email you information? at way their voices are heard and recorded. ey feel like part of the process and their thoughts are not excluded. Don't get sidetracked: It is easy for meetings of any sort to get derailed. For example, if there is a technical issue, some team members will be inclined to want to discuss and solve that problem. You need to remind them that that is not the purpose of the meeting. Have a "parking lot" fl ip chart for issues such as this that arise. en these can go on your issue log to be dealt with in a separate session. Set the tone: You want to make it clear that this is not a fi nger-point- ing exercise. All you should care about is what didn't go so well and what can we do better. Keep good minutes: Team mem- bers are going to make observa- tions that are crucial. Keep track of them and make sure that you record — and follow up on — any action items. If necessary, have a facilitator: Strictly speaking, in most cases there's no reason this session can- not be run by the project manager. However, sometimes there is bad blood between departments or stakeholders. In that case, bring on a consultant or someone from the project management offi ce to defuse the situation. Work the issue, not the person: If it turns out that a lot of prob- lems point back to one depart- ment or even one person, make sure to reinforce that this is not a blame game. Any good functional manager will probably long since have recognized the problem she has. If no corrective action is taken post-meeting, meet with the func- tional manager and/or escalate to the sponsor. Acknowledge your own imper- fections: You're not perfect. Acknowledge that you could have, say, published the schedule in a timelier fashion. If others see you willing to be self-critical they will be more willing to come forth. Document and distribute: I have met far too many people who, after running the meeting, put the docu- ment in a drawer, never to be seen again. Circulate it for comment then put it in a centralized reposi- tory for consideration by subse- quent project teams. Each project has new challenges. But there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Finally, write up three questions: What went well? What didn't go well? What might we do diff er- ently next time? If you do those things, it's likely the next project will be more successful. Jim Stewart has two decades of experience in IT. He is principal of JP Ste war t A ssociates and s p e c i a l i z e s i n c o n s u l t i n g , t ra i n i n g a n d m e n to r i n g. He can be reached at Pstewar @ gmail.com AAA Energy's preventative maintenance programs can extend your mechanical equipment's life, while increasing its reliability and eciency. Be proactive, to keep your customers and employees comfortable, your products consistent, and your processes running smoothly. To learn more call 207.883.1473 or email info@aaaenergy.com Serving Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts aaaenergy.com Proper Maintenance or unexpected repairs? HEATING AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION MAINTENANCE DESIGN/BUILD Welcome, Angela! Katahdin Trust is pleased to announce that Angela Butler has joined our business banking team as Senior Vice President, Commercial Services Officer. Angela has been helping businesses throughout central Maine achieve their financial dreams for over 22 years. Based at our Springer Drive location, she will be responsible for business lending and development in the greater Bangor area. Find out how Katahdin Trust can help grow your business! (207) 941-6762 KatahdinTrust.com Angela Butler Senior Vice President, Commercial Services Officer Run a 'lessons learned' session B Y J I M S T E W A R T H OW TO

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