How do you balance learning from past projects with innovating for future ones?

One framework that can help is the "Start/Stop/Continue" model: Start - What's one thing to start doing for next time? Stop - What's one thing we should stop doing? Continue - What's one thing we should continue doing? It's great for individual feedback, but also works well when reflecting on an overall project's wins and opportunities for improvement. You can combine this framework with a retrospective document and ask all project team members to write down their Start/Stop/Continue's prior to a live discussion in order to capture project feedback comprehensively.

Michelle Kwan beat me to the punch in advocating for the start-stop-continue method which I also use and like a lot! Some ideas to consider: 1. Seeking written input ahead of a meeting is a way to increase efficiency while facilitating a follow-up group round-robin will invite everyone to give input and encourage people to build on others’ ideas. 2. Adopt a guiding principle for your projects of lessons learning instead of lessons learned. In other words, don’t wait until close-out to pause, ask questions, reflect, learn and adjust. Improvement and learning should be continuous—everyone learning, every day. Applying this principle daily to projects (and operations, too) is a critical factor in driving the highest performing teams.

"Assessing your past projects and identifying what worked well and what did not" - My 2 cents - assigning "Accidental Project Managers/Analysts" to the Project. Organizations that assign Project Managers who are functional SME's (eg Operations, Sales, Finance, Marketing) but not functional Project Managers. This puts the individual in a nasty predicament. ie the boss requested...The resource takes on the temporary role of Project Manager but faces challenges prioritizing their 'day job' and the temporary Project Manager role.

Programs produce outcomes supported by various projects and activities. If projects are to be reviewed then they should be reviewed with respect to their efficient contribution to the benefits they achieved. Otherwise the analysis of lessons learned may result in not adding value. Innovation should be driven by forward looking strategy and the most efficient and effective ways to achieve them. Lessons learned should inform the next round of projects in their initial planning phase to support the next program or evolution of the current. You can look in the rear view mirror all you want but make sure you know where you’re going.

I completely agree with this approach to balancing learning and innovation in project management. Assessing past projects is critical for understanding what worked well and what didn't, and identifying opportunities for improvement. It also helps to avoid repeating the same mistakes and to build on the successes of previous projects. Using tools and methods like post-mortems, retrospectives, and surveys can provide valuable data and insights that can inform future projects. Ultimately, this approach can help organizations be more agile and adaptable in the face of change and uncertainty.

One thing we should look at with past projects is not only what didn't work but why? Was it a process that was flawed or was it a process that just didn't work for that project and might be useful for a different project. One size does not fit all, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Applying lessons learned from past projects is crucial to improving program management skills. Using data and insights from past projects, program managers can make informed decisions and improve their planning, risk management, communication, and quality control processes. Sharing lessons learned with team members and stakeholders can foster a culture of learning and collaboration and help prevent repeated errors. It's important to remember that not all lessons may apply to every project and that flexibility and creativity are also important in innovation for future projects.

The one of the biggest challenges of lessons learned - it is taken by teams as blaming sessions instead of learning . Many times lessons learned performed, action plan is build for improvements, but very quickly forgotten because of other priorities. Executive leadership must guide and almost enforce completion of action plan and treat it as important program by itself . And positive feedback not blaming and finger pointing sessions

Start here! A problem well framed is half solved. For every new study/decision/project, I write a statement of intent for myself, which can then be woven into communications to the broader team: "What are we doing? Why now? How will we know we are successful?" I learned this tidbit long ago - Red Adair, wildfire fighter with lower than normal casualties. It is important to know what you need first, before trying to fit prior approaches into new problems.

You must first have an open mind and a willingness to explore new ideas and approaches. Look beyond your industry and domain to gain inspiration from diverse sources, such as startups, academia, and other fields. Engage with your stakeholders and customers to understand their needs and pain points, and use this feedback to generate creative solutions. Experiment with prototypes and test them in a controlled environment to gather feedback and refine your ideas. Finally, prioritize and incorporate the most promising opportunities into your project planning and execution. Remember, innovation is not just about introducing new technologies but also about improving processes, enhancing user experiences, and creating value for your stakeholders.

Since this sn on going group the agenda for the next week or day can be looked at b4 leaving and then to review b4 starting. OK to go ??

For me, it’s about not having a completely rigid methodology or toolkit. The key foundations from Vision to Business Benefits need to be there with clear decision making and governance, but adapting methods and tools to experiment and learn helps to improve likelihood of success and speed up delivery too.

For me, I believe it is important to foster a culture of continuous improvement: Encourage your team to be proactive in seeking out new ideas and improvements. Create an environment where innovation and learning are valued and actively sought after. Encourage experimentation: Innovation often requires trying new things and taking calculated risks. Encourage your team to experiment with new tools, techniques, and approaches to find creative solutions to project challenges.

Involving all stakeholders and communicating transparently about the decision-making process is important. Be open to feedback and be willing to adjust your approach as needed. Keep in mind that trade-offs are not always clear-cut, and there may be multiple solutions that could work for your project. Consider using agile methodologies, such as scrum or kanban, to facilitate flexible and iterative planning and decision-making. Remember that managing trade-offs is an ongoing process, and you may need to revisit your decisions and priorities as your project evolves. By balancing learning and innovation and managing trade-offs effectively, you can achieve successful program management that meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.

All the ending/closing and the thinking b4 starting creates more energy to the team and process. New people, guests, visitors sense the openess and will join.

After action reviews (AARs) are an effective way to identify areas for improvement and manage tradeoffs after completing a project or undertaking. Here are two steps to manage tradeoffs from AARs: 1. ID the key tradeoffs: These could be tradeoffs between cost and quality, speed and accuracy, or any other conflicting priorities. 2. Prioritize the tradeoffs: Determine which tradeoffs are most critical to the success of the project or undertaking. Prioritizing tradeoffs will help you focus your efforts on the areas that are most likely to make a difference. By taking these steps, you can effectively manage tradeoffs from AARs and ensure that future projects are executed with greater success.

Tools like dashboards, reports, metrics, and reviews can help you track the performance and outcomes of your projects. You can also use feedback loops, change management, and agile methodologies to adjust and improve your plans, processes, or deliverables. The key is to learn from ongoing results and feedback and to innovate as you go, ensuring that your projects meet the changing needs and expectations of your stakeholders. By being flexible and adaptable, you can avoid repeating past mistakes and capitalize on new opportunities. Remember to involve your team members and stakeholders in the monitoring and adaptation process to foster collaboration and buy-in and to ensure that everyone is aligned with the project's goals and vision.

From my experience well documented, integrated, project plan that reflects ALL dependencies for all the team and ALL the teams are aware, agreed, and included major milestones with the dependencies into theirs will make big difference in tracking , proactive risk identification , bring up important cross teams AI’s and activities

I use learnings from my past projects to create templates for myself. I always try to execute my projects in an Operational mode. This means that my processes and practices will be standard to get predictable outcome. However, I keep the door for continuous improvement open. My templates evolve after every project. Every project is unique, but the methodology to deliver each project is same. "What" Processes we follow remain same. "Why", "how", "who", and "where" change.

Within Project there is always a RAID log, now clearly Issues, Risks have to be managed, however this process totally misses what went well. Lessons learnt to be built on how situations where managed Lets focus more on the positives, collaboration, teamwork, resilience It is easier to build on a positive than a negative

?? “the goal is to foster a mindset of continuous improvement and growth”. This is critical if one intends to have any longevity in a program after its launch. I aspire to affect the client’s team with this goal so the program continues to be successful after the launch and me moving on to my next adventure. Intention here is for the program to “graduate” into a “mothership” ecosystem so it keeps creating the value for many years to come. After all it takes lots of “sweat, blood and tears” to get it off the ground, making sure it is sustainable is a must in my books. No one-hit wonders, please.

The final step is to continue learning and innovating for your projects. Enhance your skills and knowledge as a program manager through various training, coaching, mentoring, and research opportunities. Celebrate your achievements and motivate yourself and your team members through reflection, recognition, and reward. Develop a mindset of continuous improvement and growth to deliver successful projects that balance learning from the past and innovating for the future.