Photo by Nancy

There is nothing quite like working hard on a project, finally getting out into the world, and then having a well-intentioned meeting meant to improve the quality of the next endeavor which devolves into everything but the kitchen sink that went wrong.  (It’s even better when we can find another group to blame.)

Focusing on what went wrong is demoralizing and doesn’t add value. There, I said it.  Sacrilege, I know.

For those of you who are cheering the demise of the Lessons Learned Meeting, not so fast.  I still think they can be valuable if they are structured in a way where something can actually be learned.  That means the guard has to come down, which means that the participants have to know that whatever comes out isn’t going to be used against them at a later date.  It means that the purpose of the meeting is to improve performance, not to cast blame.

I suggest that you take a coach approach, which provides a process for moving the group forward.

Start the meeting with what went well.  Ask the question, “How do we get more of that?”  It is just as important to know what went well and why as it is to know what went wrong.  Trust me on this because oftentimes what went well came about through sheer dumb luck.  It’s nice to know why something went right.

The next question to ask is, “What did we want to happen?”  If the answer to this varies in the room, you’ll know something was off in the communication of the goals.

Once that’s agreed upon, here’s your next question:  “What will we need for next time to achieve the results we want?”

The next questions will all be in the “What do we need…”  format, because these help us analyze the way forward.  “What do we need…” questions are solutions focused.

The Law of Attraction says that we get more of what we focus on.  I’d rather have solutions, wouldn’t you?

Be Your Best You Today,

Carolann