This method involves no madness!
Getting better depends on getting smarter. But how? The best strategies result when teams are clear about what worked and what fell short, and then test new approaches in subsequent go arounds based on what was learned. Being smarter is about harvesting the wisdom of a group to figure out a better way forward.
Whether it’s an event, a campaign or a particular aspect of a program, the way to understand how successful you were in achieving your goals is with an After Action Review. After Action Reviews require good facilitation, and a thorough reflection by those involved, including program participants.
Looking back, moving forward
The After Action Review reveals what worked, what didn’t and what would make a more successful strategy next time. To conduct such a review, you need a facilitator. Facilitation can make or break the entire process. The facilitator is somebody familiar with the project but who is removed from the nitty-gritty details. Their job is to glean information from each member of the team with a sense of curiosity about exactly what occurred and why, setting the tone for an honest and thorough discussion. It is not about assessing blame or identifying individual failures.
The process tests the assumptions about what you initially thought would happen by looking at what actually did happen. [Wow, that email campaign was a real bust. We had only a 10% response rate. The phone calls, however, drove 90% of the attendance!] Then, in looking at your results, ask the group why things turned out as they did.
Once you gather the expert knowledge of the team you can start thinking about future steps that will bring you closer to achieving your goals. The only way to gather that group knowledge is by making sure everybody’s voice is valued. That means each team member has an opportunity to weigh in and feels comfortable doing so. In fact, it’s wise to use a timer to make sure all participants can express their view. All the while insights are logged onto a template that is visible to everyone during the review.
End Game
The process concludes with decisions on how to move forward. What from the information gathered are you going to use and when will you apply it? You’ll set a date for the next review and this method becomes part of how your organization designs, evaluates, and documents what works. Some organizations conduct such reviews weekly or even daily.
The After Action Review helps the organization get smarter because the collective insights learned in the process become the basis for driving innovation and improvement.
This free, downloadable After Action Review tool walks you through this process.
