What is it?
An AAR is a short meeting to discuss expectations and lessons learnt immediately following the completion of a major task or project milestone. Typically, an AAR involves all team members that were involved in the specific action. Outside experts or guests aren’t typically involved, but certainly can be invited as an option for additional perspectives. AARs can be impactful tools for checking shared understanding and lessons learnt, especially if repeated throughout the lifecycle of a project.
HOW
Step 1: Gather those involved
Step 2: Identify lessons learnt by asking
- What was supposed to happen & what actually happened?
- Were there any important differences?
- What went well & what went less well?
- What specific actions need to be taken and who will lead those actions?
Step 3: Produce a minute of the conversation
- AARs should ideally be completed rapidly often in 15 to 30 minutes, and certainly no more than an hour.
Tips for success
- AARs should be conducted in a safe environment where everyone can speak their minds, we’re especially aiming for an environment where we’re not blaming each other, but rather learning with each other.
- See also Retrospect which is a process that can be run at the end of large projects.