Do You LEARN from Your Mistakes?

Some people never learn. That’s also true of some teams and organizations. All too often, destructive group dynamics, performance problems, and execution shortfalls keep repeating themselves.

A prime example of this type of loony looping pattern led to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the largest marine oil spill in history.

It started on April 20, 2010, when an oil rig exploded, killing 11 people. Millions of gallons of crude oil began gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Over the next two months, every attempt to stop the spill failed.

Finally, after extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats, the U.S. government pulled together an all-star group of experts to find a solution.

Wild Well Control ─ a client of GEO Group Strategic Services ─ was a key member of that all-star group. By mid-September, the spill was effectively dead.

Since taming a wild well 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the sea had never been done before, there were important lessons to be learned. 

So, GEO conducted an After Action Review (AAR), which is one of the most effective methods for learning how to improve your performance.

Watch our 3-minute GEO video. It explains the 5 Questions in an AAR.

LELAND RUSSELL is the founder of GEO Group Strategic Services. He has helped hundreds of leaders meet their toughest challenges.

With his deep expertise in Virtual Collaboration, Accelerated Execution, and Adaptive Cultures, Leland is uniquely qualified to help leaders and their organizations navigate safely in this era of radical, rapid change.