It’s that time of the year again. Many of us are working to hit those year-end numbers, planning for the New Year and celebrating the Holidays. I’ve been in the planning mode for the last two months helping our clients reflect on the successes and challenges of 2013; assess results and talent; and develop plans and budgets for 2014.
I believe one of the most important exercises that leadership teams and employees can do at the year-end is to reflect on the Lessons Learned throughout the year. Every day of the year we are learning and so why wouldn’t you want to capture those organizational, team and individual learnings each year? Isn’t that what continuous learning is all about?
So here’s the question to ask: “What did we(I) (organization, leadership team, department, team or individual) learn this year?” That’s it, not hard at all!
You’ll find that your Lessons Learned fall into several categories: positive learnings that we want to repeat and reinforce; mistakes or learnings that we don’t want to repeat again; disappointments that need to be let go; and “ah-ha’s” that reveal our greatest potential.
Now look over the Lessons Learned you wrote down and ask these questions:
- What lessons do we(I)want to make sure we(I) remember and reinforce 2014?
- What lesson do we(I) need to spend time refining or creating new systems, processes, practices, behaviors, habits or attitudes to ensure that we(I) don’t repeat the mistakes or have the same disappointments at the end of next year?
- What lessons do we(I) need to not dwell on, learn from and then let go?
When I do this exercise with Leadership Teams and each member of the team, it never fails that some of the best learnings come from mistakes but the most impactful learnings are those that revealed the organization’s, team’s or individual’s greatest potential. If we(I) can break through a once-believed obstacle, unattainable goal or impossible act, anything is possible!
