How to Build a Lessons Learned Log: Step-by-Step

One of my most popular videos is Lessons Learned Meeting: How to Make it Excellent. But, how do you capture those lessons learned in a structured lessons learned log?

If you prefer an article: How to Get Your Next Lessons Learned Meeting Right

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This is learning, so, sit back and enjoy

Lessons Learned Log

The good news is that a lessons learned log is simple. It could even be a set of pages in a physical notebook. You can use a table in Word, Pages, or Google Docs. But I prefer a simple spreadsheet.

That’s how I am going to describe it, but creating your log in another tool is pretty much the same.

Create Your Lessons Learned Spreadsheet

First, open a fresh spreadsheet and give it a name.

Next, create a title block for your log. This should contain things like:

• Lessons Learned Log
• The name of the project (and its code, if it has one)
• The names of the project management and project sponsor

Now set out the log itself, in the form of a table.

Building Your Lessons Learned Log

Columns 1 to 8…

1. A unique ID for each lesson
2. A date
3. I like to record the author
4. A short-form title for the lesson
5. A thorough description of the lesson learned
6. Recommended actions that flow from the lesson
7. Importance or Impact rating.
   Let’s keep it simple and stick to high, Medium, and low.
   But you might also include an urgency as well
8. Wherever you have actions on a project, assign an owner who will be responsible for carrying them out.

Recording Progress on Your Lessons Learned Log

Next, you may want to create some columns to record progress and impacts. To keep it simple, I suggest:

9. What was done
10. When it was completed
11. Impact
12. Further recommended actions
13. Open or closed

What Kit Does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

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