What is "The Word"?
"Lessons Learned". What is a "lesson"? What is "learned"? Webster's definition that applies to a lesson would be 2b: "a reading or exercise to be studied by a pupil." And the definition for learned is 1a(1): "to gain knowledge or understanding of a skill in by study, instruction, or experience."
During my career I have learned from my peers that the definition of insanity as it relates to managing projects is "performing the same activity over and over and expecting different results".
These definitions remind me of my nomad life that began after I graduated high school. Which was my first experience at "moving". I had nothing to reflect on, nor did I ask for advice or assistance. Therefore, the Saturday before school started, I took all of my clothes out of the closet and off the hangers, and laid them neatly in the back seat of my car. Then I brought out as many books as I could carry and threw them into the trunk. I piled this and that into the car. And I couldn't leave home without every possible stuffed animal that I had been carrying around my entire life. My car was packed to the roof with my most worldly possessions. Due to the lack of room, I even had to drive with a few stuffed animals on my lap. This was the beginning of move #1. How exciting!!!
The first phase of this project took 1 resource, 2 hours effort, 4 hours in duration, 18 trips (or .26 of a mile walked) to and from the car, and $0 spent. After assuming that the amount of work to pack would be the same as the work to unpack, lets say at this point we are at 50% work complete.
Once I arrived at the dormitory, needless to say, there was absolutely nowhere to park within a one mile radius. However, after one hour of driving around the block, a spot in the 15 minute parking opened up. Once I arrived, I soon discovered my room was on the 3rd floor and the elevators were not working. This wasn't looking so exciting anymore.
You can then imagine, the second phase of this project didn't go as planned. My assumptions were incorrect. I was clearly a novice as moving. The second phase of this project took 1 resource, 10 hours effort, 14 hours in duration, 18 trips (or 9 miles walked) to an from the car up and down the stairs, $25 for the parking ticket, and 100% work complete.
That night as I was complaining how much I hurt from going up and down the stairs, I did manage to remember to reflect a little before I feel asleep. "There must be a better way." Lesson 1 - Complete.
The day came for move #2, and as I reflected about move #1 and I remembered the pain, suffering and complete lack of organization. Into my head came Lesson Learned #1 - Boxes are your friend and if you increase your resources, in theory, your duration should decrease. My roommate and I then proceeded to pack up all of my books into a box, clothes, school supplies, and lastly, the stuffed animals.
The first phase of move #2 took 2 resources, 3 hours effort, 3 hours in duration, 10 trips (or 3 miles in distance between the two of us due to an operating elevator) to and from the car, $0, 50% work complete. Lesson 2 - the bottom of a box is not that sturdy.
The second phase of this project took 2 resources, 2 hours effort, 3 hours in duration, 18 trips, 0$, and 100% work complete. Lesson Learned #2 - tape the bottom of the boxes.
Now, I am not about to go thru the umpteen moves that have occurred over the years but I do know that I have learned many lessons from each of them. Below are a few more for those novice movers out there:
- Duct tape instead of masking.
- Don't put all your books in one box, you can't lift it.
- Plates and glasses do break.
- Leave your clothes on the hangers.
- Get rid of all your junk via garage sale or give it to Good Will.
- Just because you give all your stuffed animals to your children doesn't mean you don't have to move them, you will just have more of them to move. See lesson 5 above.
The whole point to my story is that we all learn lessons in our everyday life. It doesn't take much effort to reflect on how you can improve on the activities that you perform. This same concept is easily transferred to managing projects. Take the time at the end of each Phase, Iteration or significant milestone and capture the Lessons Learned and use that information to improve the efficiency and quality of the work that you do. A lesson is not learned unless you do something about it.
And that's "The Word".
