Project Post-Mortems: Do You Do Them?
Learning At The End Is Just As Important As The Beginning
Posted by Charlie Recksieck
on 2025-07-24
So, how about the project review meetings at the end? How much time do you allot to that one? If you answer 0 days or half a day, unfortunately, you're not alone.
Why It's A Good Idea
Holding a meeting at the end of a project is a great practice, and teams should consider it an essential part of the project lifecycle. These meetings are often called post-project reviews, retrospectives, or post-mortems. The goal isn't just to look back, but to capture lessons that improve future work.
Benefits:
1. Reflect on What Went Well - Teams can identify successful strategies, tools, decisions, and processes worth repeating in future projects.
2. Understand What Didn't Work - Discussing obstacles, delays, miscommunications, or inefficiencies helps prevent the same issues from recurring.
3. Strengthen Team Relationships - Acknowledging individual and team contributions promotes morale, trust, and a sense of closure.
This is a great time for an "atta boy".
4. Document Lessons Learned - Recording insights, decisions, and recommendations.
If something is particularly relevant, put it in your template for requirements gathering and planning for future projects.
What Projects Merit A Retrospective Meeting At The End
After multi-month or complex projects
When introducing new tools, processes, or team structures
When there were significant successes or problems worth analyzing
Try It
A good session should be structured, time-boxed, and solution-focused. Brief surveys or anonymous input can help people speak openly.
Bottom line: Yes-end-of-project meetings are highly beneficial for learning, improvement, and team growth.
