Lessons Learned Templates: The Project Management Edition

January 25, 2024 - 10 min read

Wrike Team

If you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it. If you continuously make the same mistake, expect to get the same result. Both of these statements are variations of Albert Einstein’s famous words about insanity — “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Let’s face it, we are all prone to doing the wrong thing again and again, even if we know it’s not good for us. There are people who consistently pair up with the wrong partner, and then there are those who constantly lose their temper and pick unnecessary fights with others. It’s like watching somebody bang their head against a brick wall — they keep causing problems, yet the solution is obvious.

At work, making mistakes is commonplace. However, learning from them is essential, particularly in the project management space. Even if your company believes the latest project was a job well done, take the time to reflect and use the experience as a way to get even better.

In this article, we will delve into the importance of lessons learned, what’s included in an effective lessons learned template, and how to implement them in your project management process.

Lessons learned in project management

When it comes to project management, there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from each project. Lessons learned are not just about identifying what went right or wrong with your team. They also involve taking note of valuable insights into the project planning process. This requires you to be thorough, as you examine every success, failure, challenge, and best practice encountered during the job.

Remember, there’s a lot to learn from how project planning, team dynamics, risk management, communication, and stakeholders were handled during the last project. Whatever insights you gain should be documented and shared company-wide, as this is the fast track to continuous improvement and business success.

How lessons learned boost your project

You can think of lessons learned as the feedback your doctor or hair stylist gives you after a visit. While the doctor may point out that your sleeping and eating patterns are contributing to your health issues, the hair stylist might explain how using certain products has significantly altered your hair’s texture and color. Even though the information may be a hard pill to swallow, it’s necessary to avoid the same situation in the future.

Likewise, the lessons learned at work should be viewed as an opportunity to make your team better and boost project outcomes.

Sharing knowledge and best practices will allow project teams to learn from each other and implement suggestions in their own projects. This culture of continuous improvement spreads throughout the company, which will keep you competitive in an industry that appears to be ever-changing and evolving.

Reviewing lessons learned also lets project managers take note of what risks they took, how they can avoid certain pitfalls, and what can be done to prevent these issues in the future. The next time somebody makes a mistake, you will know how to handle the setback. There will be absolutely no need to stress and be at your wit’s end over it.

A laptop, written notes, and coffee mug on a wooden table — *Photo by Isumi Daizy on Unsplash*

The anatomy of a good lessons learned template

A proper lessons learned template comes with a structured format for documenting project insights. Think about it — would you rather work with an organized list of chronological bullets or have to contend with several pages of messy notes?

Let’s get into the key elements you should consider when designing a lessons learned template:

Project information: Include the project name, dates, team members, and stakeholders to provide context. This sets the stage for understanding the project’s background and will give stakeholders enough context. Not including these is like trying to drop off mail without naming a sender and recipient!
Lesson description: Clearly articulate the lessons learned in a concise and specific manner. Be very clear when describing the main issue faced during the project and what was learned as a result.
Impact analysis: Assess the impact of each lesson on project outcomes, including both positive and negative effects. The goal is to identify the consequences of the lesson and put it in the context of the project. As tempting as it may be, now is not the time to be playing the blame game — rather, this is a moment to learn something new.
Root cause analysis: Identify the underlying causes that led to the lessons learned. Whether it was a miscommunication issue or something to do with management, take note of these factors and vow to not repeat them in the future.
Recommendations: Suggest actionable steps or changes that can be taken to address the lessons learned. You can even refer to past project successes or failures as the basis of your suggestions.
Implementation plan: Outline a game plan for applying the lessons learned in future projects or ongoing initiatives. You need to make sure that your insights from the lessons are not forgotten but rather integrated into the company’s practices and processes.

Customizing your template

Because every organization and project is unique, the best strategy when it comes to designing your lessons learned template is to customize it. Your team should consider factors such as industry standards and best practices, project complexity, and team dynamics.

Ultimately, the goal of customizing your template is to create a user-friendly, practical tool that remains aligned with your company’s mission statement and objectives. Try to be flexible — there are many different project scenarios that could lead to various lessons learned. Hopefully, your template is flexible enough that your employees can easily use and navigate it. When they are finished, they can simply start over and adapt it to the next project situation.

How to implement lessons learned templates in your project management process

Now that you have an idea of what lessons learned means, let’s discuss integrating your templates into your workflow.

When to use them

Lessons learned templates can be used at various stages of a project:

Project planning: These templates can help you flag down any potential risks and challenges that arise during the project. Look to past projects for ideas on how to address these issues and develop mitigation strategies.
After project completion: Analyze what went well, as well as what went south during the job. You can also mention the overall project experience to create a baseline for future reference.
Transitions between project phases or teams: Because these often involve a transfer of knowledge and responsibilities, it is best to use lessons learned templates to preserve this information. If not, you risk leaving your staff without a ‘GPS’ to navigate themselves.

How to effectively use them

If you think these templates are like throwing darts at a board, think again. When you use these tools, you need to be calculated and systematic. There’s a lot of planning involved, so get ready to act like a chess player thinking several steps ahead.

Here are several tips to follow:

Make the template easily accessible to all project stakeholders. This encourages them to offer their opinions and experiences, which can enrich your lessons learned repository.
Hold reflective workshops to discuss project experiences and potential lessons. All employees have the chance to be honest about what they learned and how they think things could be better in the future.
Regularly review, update, and share the lessons learned across the company to maximize their impact. The goal is to have everybody on the same page.
Integrate the lessons learned into your project management software or tools. Having these insights as a visual reminder to your staff will prevent them from becoming a mere afterthought after the project is long over.

How to solve problems with lessons learned templates

Since your journey to implement lessons learned templates may encounter some bumps along the way, take a look at these solutions to be fully prepared for the road ahead:

Resistance to change: Some employees may perceive these templates as redundant and time-consuming. You should:
- Highlight the benefits of lessons learned, such as improved project outcomes, enhanced decision making, and personal growth.
- Engage stakeholders early on in the template design process, encouraging their input and ownership of the documentation effort.
Inconsistent template usage: Not using the template consistently or properly will diminish its impact. To combat this, you should:
- Create clear guidelines and expectations for completing and reviewing templates. You can even train your employees on how to use them properly, to clear up any confusion.
- Regularly monitor and assess compliance to identify areas for improvement.

How to measure the impact of lessons learned templates on project management

Lastly, it’s very important to have a system for measuring the impact of lessons learned templates on project management. After all, these templates are the foundation for continuous improvement. Be sure to use these key performance indicators to keep you on the right track:

Frequency of lessons learned documentation: Measure how often lessons learned templates are completed and updated. You want to make sure you are being consistent with your efforts.
Applicability of lessons learned: Assess the extent to which lessons learned have been applied to your later projects or processes.
Project improvement rate: Analyze how well projects perform after implementing identified lessons learned, comparing key metrics such as cost, schedule, and quality.
Team satisfaction: Gather feedback from project teams regarding the usefulness and contribution of lessons learned templates to their work. If your employees are satisfied, this is a good sign!

Use Wrike to improve project management

Project management is no easy task. Make your day run smoother by using lessons learned templates to your advantage. With Wrike, you can use customizable templates to capture key insights, improve future performance, and drive project success.

An excellent choice for your project management needs, Wrike also offers several unique features that can take your company to new heights. These include:

Folders to effectively store information on previous projects
Automated reports to track past and current data
AI tools to spot future risks

If you would like to take control of your project management and incorporate lessons learned templates into your workflow, you can begin right away. Start your free trial of Wrike today.

Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Wrike Team

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

#Work Management #Templates #Project Management Advice

Project Management 7 min read

Why You Need to Record Your Project Management Lessons Learned: Tips & Templates

You've checked off the last few tasks on your to-do list, submitted the final deliverable, and shaken hands with a group of happy stakeholders. Time to congratulate your project team on a job well done and pop the champagne! Wait, what do you mean the project's not finished? Record lessons learned?? Groan. It can be tough to make time for any retrospective when many urgent new tasks and projects are waiting. And if your team has already moved on to new work, it can be like herding cats to get everyone in the same room again. However, the benefits of recording project management lessons speak for themselves: you can identify best practices for future use and share them with the rest of the company so everyone can learn from others' experiences. Your life gets exponentially easier going forward, and your company becomes more competitive. This article includes a simple how-to guide, along with the downloadable "Project Management Lessons Learned Document" templates at the end, to make the process of recording project takeaways quick and painless. The Importance of a Learning Culture Recording lessons learned is not just a task to be checked off at the end of a project. It's a crucial part of fostering a learning culture within your organization. When teams see the tangible benefits of learning from past projects, they're more likely to embrace continuous improvement and strive for excellence in every project. Creating a learning culture in project management can result in benefits you can appreciate for years. Best Practices for Recording Project Management Lessons Recording lessons learned in project management is a crucial practice that helps in refining project strategies, avoiding repetitive mistakes, and continuously improving team performance. Here are some best practices for effective documentation of project management lessons. Make it a Regular Practice: Don’t wait until the project's end to document lessons learned. Make it an ongoing practice throughout the project lifecycle. This ensures that insights are captured when they're fresh and most relevant. Encourage Open Communication: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their successes and failures. Open communication leads to more comprehensive and honest insights. Be Objective: When documenting lessons, focus on the situation and the outcome, not on individuals. This helps prevent the process from becoming personal and encourages objective analysis. Categorize Lessons Learned: Organize lessons into project planning, risk management, or communication categories. This makes it easier to reference and apply the lessons in future projects. Use a Standardized Template: A consistent format ensures that all necessary information is captured. This should include the situation description, lessons learned, and recommendations for future projects. Review and Apply Lessons: Regularly review and incorporate the documented lessons into your project management practices. This ensures that the team benefits from past experiences and continuously improves. Remember, the goal of recording project management lessons is to build a knowledge base that contributes to the success of future projects. How To Identify & Record Project Management Lessons Learned 1. Don’t save it all for the end of the project. Attach quick review meetings to project milestones to support continuous learning. Periodic reviews are known to have a positive impact on team motivation, since they'll directly benefit from the lessons learned instead of altruistically passing on tips to other teams. This also means you'll get better quality insights, as people aren't trying to remember what happened weeks or months ago. Plus, it's easy to gather everyone while the project is still active. (This is especially true with contract workers or consultants, who typically scatter once a project ends.) The importance of recording project management lessons will become clear as we work through the rest of the steps. 2. Focus on why and how. A lessons learned document isn’t simply a report or description of the project’s results. Go deeper: what problems did you encounter and how did you solve them? What cause-effect relationships did you notice? What insights did you pick up into how work processes could be improved? 3. Emphasize successes. Which strategies and procedures contributed to success? Knowing what worked well is just as helpful as knowing what didn't! Answer these questions: What should we start doing? What should we stop doing? What should we keep doing? What's still causing us trouble? 4. Evaluate each stage of the project. If you're stumped on where to start, discuss these aspects of the project with your team to get the conversation going and make sure you hit all the important points: Project planning Defining scope & requirements Resource and budget management Risk management Reporting Testing/Revisions Stakeholder communication Team communication Quality of meetings Quality of final project outcome 5. Find consensus. Your whole team should agree on the lessons learned, and everyone should contribute. The people personally involved in the work are the ones with the insights you need! 6. Make takeaways actionable and widely applicable. Once you’ve collected lessons learned with your internal team, you need to repackage them for general use and apply them to your future work. They shouldn't be so specific that they don't pertain to new projects, or so generic that they confuse people. Create a preliminary plan: what would improvements look like, and who would be responsible for making them happen? 7. Make your conclusions accessible. Wouldn't it be a shame to reflect and record lessons learned only to have your insights lost or forgotten? Set up a knowledge base or an intranet where every team can store their lessons learned and access advice from other teams. Learning how to write a project management report will also be beneficial to document all of the project's details and identify potential changes to implement in your next project. Additionally, practicing how to document project management lessons learned is a skill that your entire team will benefit from, which will benefit your organization overall. The Long-Term Impact of Recording Lessons Learned in Project Management Recording lessons learned in project management can profoundly impact an organization's efficiency, productivity, and success. Here's how: Continuous Improvement: Documenting lessons learned fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement. It helps teams to identify what worked well and what needs to be improved, leading to better project outcomes over time. Knowledge Sharing: Lessons learned serve as a valuable knowledge base. They provide insights and guidance for future projects, ensuring teams don't repeat past mistakes and capitalize on proven strategies. Enhanced Decision-Making: With a historical record of lessons learned, project managers can make more informed decisions. They can predict potential risks, foresee challenges, and devise effective solutions, improving the quality of decision-making. Increased Efficiency: Over time, applying lessons learned can streamline project processes, reduce waste, and increase efficiency. Teams become more adept at managing time, resources, and scope, leading to more successful projects. Improved Team Morale: When teams see their experiences are valued and used to improve future projects, morale and motivation can be boosted. It cultivates an environment of growth and learning, enhancing team satisfaction and retention. Recording lessons learned in project management is a strategic investment that pays dividends in the form of improved project outcomes, knowledge sharing, and organizational growth in the long run. Conclusion Recording lessons learned in project management is a strategic activity that reaps long-term benefits. It fosters continuous improvement, enhances decision-making, and boosts team morale. It provides a treasure trove of insights for future projects, ensuring teams evolve and grow from every project experience. Utilizing the provided templates can further streamline this process, making it a standardized part of your project lifecycle. Remember, the wisdom acquired from past projects is a powerful tool for future success. So, keep sharing your insights and tips, and contribute to the collective learning and growth of the project management community. Use these ready-to-use templates to record and share your team's most helpful project tips: Download template #1: Project Management Lessons Learned - Periodic Milestone ReviewDownload template #2: Project Management Lessons Learned - Final Review What are your tips for better project management? We know you've picked up some project management wisdom along the way, so share your tips for recording lessons learned with your fellow readers in the comments! Read Next:The Ultimate Guide to Project ManagementThe 3-Step Guide to Choosing a Project Management Methodology4 Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders Sources:Harvesting Project Knowledge, PMTips.net, The-Program-Manager.com, Intland.com

Project Management 10 min read

9 Project Management Lessons Learned from the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

“We can lick gravity, but sometimes paperwork is overwhelming.” —Wernher von Braun, Chief Architect of Apollo's Saturn V Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins may have been the most visible figures of the 1969 moon landing, but the Apollo 11 team included thousands of people led by a select group of program and project managers at NASA. Tasked with the nearly impossible goal of putting an American on the moon in less than a decade, the Apollo program will always be remembered as a remarkable feat of technological innovation. And yet to many leaders at NASA, its true legacy lies in its project management achievements. Use these 10 lessons learned from their extraordinary experiences to make your own project a stellar success. 1. Keep Open Lines of Communication with Stakeholders “When John Kennedy went before Congress on May 25, 1961 and said we were going to the Moon, our total flight experience was one 15-minute suborbital flight." —Dr. John M. Logsdon, Director of the Center for International Science and Technology Policy To say Kennedy set an ambitious timeline is an understatement. The fact is, sometimes stakeholders will have sky-high expectations that you don't think are realistic. So take a cue from Dr. Robert Gilruth, Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center at the time. He recognized that he and Kennedy were working on the same team, not fighting against each other. Instead of starting his relationship with Kennedy on a tense, adversarial note, Gilruth chose honest communication. He said, “I don’t know if this is possible," and followed it with frank and upfront details about the resources NASA would need in order to make the dream a reality. Gilruth recalls, “[Kennedy] really wanted us to be successful.” So no matter how difficult it may be to manage your stakeholders' expectations, remind each other that you share the same goal and use that motivation to focus on the project's success. Read: 7 Keys to Project Stakeholder Management from the #PMChat Community 2. Planning is the Most Important Step... "We knew what had to be done. How to do it in 10 years was never addressed before the announcement was made. But quite simply, we considered the program a number of phases." —Dr. Maxime A. Faget, Chief Engineer & Designer of the Apollo command and lunar modules When faced with an extraordinarily complex project, Apollo's program leaders broke it down into much smaller steps and focused on attaining each one. They set a series of milestones: phase 1 was to fly to the moon, phase 2 was to orbit the moon, phase 3 was to land an unmanned craft on the moon, and so on. They organized all their service structures and measured their progress around these set milestones. Had they immediately set their sights on a full-fledged lunar landing, history may have turned out very different. In spite of the time crunch, the NASA team put a great deal of thought into the planning process, viewing it as an opportunity to cut as much risk as possible. Dr. Faget recalls, "I basically said the best way to deal with risk management is in the basic conceptual design, get the damn risk out of it.” If you're facing a tight deadline you may be tempted to jump right in and get to work, but check that reflex. Take a beat and formulate a thorough project plan, considering risk from the very beginning. You'll thank yourself later! Read: 6 Steps to a Foolproof Project Plan 3. ...But Don’t Be Afraid to Modify the Plan "They probably normally expected us to land with about two minutes of fuel left. And here we were, still a hundred feet above the surface, at 60 seconds." —Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot On descent to their landing site, the lunar module's computer became overloaded with tasks and incoming data, threatening to reboot in the middle of the landing sequence. Armstrong and Aldrin discovered they were going to miss their target, and would likely smack into a crater littered with treacherous boulders at an alarming velocity. Armstrong took semi-automatic control of the lunar module, while Aldrin fed him altitude and velocity data. They successfully landed on the moon's surface with just 25 seconds worth of fuel left. If Armstrong and Aldrin hadn't acted, Mission Control would probably have been forced to abort the mission, and Armstrong's iconic moonwalk would never have happened. So remember that even the most well-thought-out project plans may need to be altered if circumstances change or a new opportunity arises. Don't be so rigid that you fail to adapt to either save your project from disaster or seize the chance to deliver beyond expectations. Relate read: 5 Project Management Ideas That Should Be Extinct 4. Acknowledge Risk, but Don’t Let It Deter You “We said to ourselves that we have now done everything we know how to do. We feel comfortable with all of the unknowns that we went into this program with. We don’t know what else to do to make this thing risk-free, so it's time to go.” —Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of Flight Operations The Apollo 11 mission was perhaps one of the most risky undertakings in human history. From technical failure to human error, any number of things could have gone wrong — and did. But without acknowledging and planning for that risk, the achievement would never have been made. NASA handled risk by actively looking for it and constantly asking themselves, "What if?" Having backup systems and procedures in place ensured there was always a Plan B. So be proactive in assessing and managing risk for your own projects. Identify situations that could trip your team up and plan for them — but don’t let an acceptable amount of risk keep you from pushing ahead. Another risk management strategy embraced by NASA: training and empowering your team to make good decisions and fix problems on the fly. Howard Tindall says, “I think one of the greatest contributors to minimizing risk was the extraordinary amount of training that was done. That really saved us many, many times because I don’t think there was a single mission that we didn’t have some significant failures. The fact was that people could figure them out because they had been trained and knew how to work with each other.” Read: Ultimate Guide to Project Risk Assessment (Part 1- Project Risk) 5. Be Strategic About Team Communication “One of the biggest challenges that we had was one of communication and coordination.” —Owen Morris, Chief Engineer & Manager of the Lunar Module Apollo's team of project managers went from managing small projects with a select team of close colleagues to managing thousands of people they had never met. Coordinating such a massive effort required constant communication to avoid costly or dangerous errors. Their solution was to identify five central priorities and drill them into every single level of the organization. With the entire team aligned around those set priorities, communication and discipline became infinitely easier. Team leaders also met every few weeks to coordinate efforts, discuss progress, explain current challenges, and work together to overcome problems. At no point was any team in the dark about what another group was doing, or what support they needed. Communication is often cited as the #1 reason projects fail, so take a proactive approach. Don't just trust that communication among team members will fall into place on its own, or that everyone will assume the same priorities. Create a plan for how your team will communicate with each other and with you, and check in frequently to offer support, clarify high-priority tasks, and make sure processes are running smoothly. Read: How to Communicate Like Super Bowl Champions & The 5 Ws of Virtual Communication 6. Delegate! “Another thing that was extraordinary was how things were delegated down. NASA responsibilities were delegated to people who didn’t know how to do these things, and were expected to go find out how to do it." —Howard W. TIndall, Jr., Mission Technique Coordinator Delegating to people who don't have experience with a certain task may seem counterintuitive, but it was something Apollo project managers actively encouraged — in fact, the average age of the entire Operations team was just 26, most fresh out of college. NASA gave someone a problem and the freedom to run with it, and the results speak for themselves. So while it's tempting to give important tasks only to team members who have direct experience, you may be missing out if you do. While you shouldn't just dump a critical task on a hapless employee and wish them good luck, with the proper support, fresh eyes and curious minds can discover the most innovative solutions to a problem — or find valuable ways to improve stale processes. Read: 9 Phrases to Jumpstart Productivity When Delegating a Task 7. Record Lessons Learned “When we had the [Apollo 1] fire, we took a step back and said okay, what lessons have we learned from this horrible tragedy? Now let’s be doubly sure that we are going to do it right the next time. And I think that fact right there is what allowed us to get Apollo done in the ‘60s.” —Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of Flight Operations The Apollo program was home to some of the most brilliant minds in the world, and yet no one was shy about their mistakes. They made recording and learning from their errors a central part of their process, from the very top of the organization down. Failure was simply an opportunity to learn and improve. Follow their lead by making retrospectives an ongoing part of your project, not a one-time event that's relegated to the end. Collect lessons learned at each standup or status meeting to refine your process as you go, and take the lead yourself so your team knows it's safe to discuss mistakes and roadblocks without judgment. Your team — and your project's results — will be that much stronger for it. Read: Why You Need to Record Project Lessons Learned: Tips & Templates 8. Celebrate Success as a Team "We would like to give special thanks to all those Americans who built the spacecraft; who did the construction, design, the tests, and put their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people tonight, we give a special thank you." —Neil Armstrong, July 26 television broadcast from orbit At every opportunity the astronauts called the world's attention to the efforts of their teammates back on the ground. So when you deliver a successful project to a group of happy stakeholders, share that applause with the rest of your team. Relay positive feedback and results back to the group, acknowledge their hard work with a round of high-fives, and use small wins throughout the project to fuel continued hard work. Read: 5 Reasons Your Team Isn't Getting Stuff Done & 10 Encouraging Productivity Proverbs to Hang on Your Office Wall 9. Make Project Success Sustainable "The leader has got to really believe in his organization, and believe that they can do things, and find ways to challenge them." —Dr. Maxime A. Faget, Chief Engineer & designer of the Apollo command and lunar modules Once you've achieved success, how do you make it repeatable across your entire organization? According to Apollo's project managers, every successful project needs three things: the first is a vivid picture of where you’re going and what you can accomplish to motivate your team. Second: complete commitment from leadership so your team has the support they need to get things done. And finally, a deadline or goal to keep everyone focused on high-priority tasks that further immediate business goals. Secure these three things at the beginning of a new project and you're already on the path to success. Read: 3 Lessons on High Performing Teams from TED Talks Keys to Project Management Success As experienced project managers, we know you have some expert tips on managing projects and achieving results that are out of this world. Share your best advice with fellow readers in the comments below! Sources: History.Nasa.gov, History.com, Space.com, Wikipedia.org Photo credits: NASA Images Collection at Archive.org

Project Management 10 min read

Don't Forget These 17 Project Management Best Practices

Create, plan, and execute successful projects with these 17 project management best practices. Learn more about project manager best practices with Wrike.

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Lessons Learned Templates: The Project Management Edition