Becoming Our Best
"AFTER THE FACT"
Successful individuals and teams will often write up an evaluation of an event or a project when it is completed. In the Army they're called "after action reports", other places it's "lessons learned". Why do busy people spend precious time on this kind of evaluation?
It turns out that success is built on recognizing our failures and weak points, in addition to things that happened to make us proud. And the best time to record this data is as soon as possible after completing the event or project. Here are some key areas to cover:
• How well were the goals accomplished?
• What strategies and tactics worked well?
• If others were involved, who were the stars? What were their strengths?
• Again, if others were involved, who didn't do well? Where do they need more work?
• What should be done differently next time?
The analysis can be long or it can be short. But the mere act of thinking through what happened, analyzing the event and getting information written down is healthy for an individual or the team. An additional benefit is having this kind of data available when you face a similar task in the future. It will then provide a strong foundation for success.
Take the time to reflect on what happened, after the fact, and how you as an individual or the team could do better next time. You'll be pleased at the returns on your time and thought.
Author: Bruce Johnsen Management Consultant:
824 Munras Ave Suite G
Monterey, CA 93940
831-373-5969
bruce@brucejohnsen.com
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