Ever Feel Like You Are Re-Learning Lessons Learned?

I know that at the end of every project you include identifying lessons learned as part of the summary process. But I sometimes wonder how long these lessons are retained in institutional memory. In really good organizations they become immediate attention items and targets for process redesign, but in most they are little more than a bullet point statement on an end-of-project PowerPoint brief.

There are ways to be more proactive in making sure these lessons learned are really learned, and not repeated. First, make the review of prior lessons learned a required part of every new project’s launch process. Secondly, make learning (both new knowledge and old lessons) a part of the project scorecard. The increased up front attention and continuing visibility / reporting through the project life cycle will pay off.