54: After Action Reviews and Leaving Well
If you’re new here, Leaving Well is the art and practice of leaving a place, role, title, or thing with intention and purpose, and when possible … joy.
To chat with me about bringing After Action Reviews to your nonprofit or social impact organization, contact me here.
To learn more about Leaving Well, visit https://www.naomihattaway.com/
To support the production of this podcast, peruse my Leaving Well Bookshop or buy me a coffee.
This podcast is produced by Sarah Hartley.
Transcript:
An after action review (AAR) is a technique for improving process and execution by analyzing the intended outcome and actual outcome of an action and identifying practices to sustain, and practices to improve or initiate, and then practicing those changes at the next iteration of the action..
AARs in the formal sense were originally developed by the US Army, and now are used by all US military services and by many other non-US organizations. Their use has extended to business as a knowledge management tool, and more recently, a leadership and professional development … shtick.
In recent news stories, company leaders are innovating their professional development and team building efforts by introducing concepts like simulated NASCAR pit stops or military-style experiential training (including one called “Top Gun Experience”) instructing “leaders how to implement business strategies with the mindset of a fighter pilot” and referring to it as after action.
“The question is — is it meant to be fun? Is it meant to be photographed? Or is it meant to be impactful?” Melissa Nightingale, a co-founder of the management training firm Raw Signal Group, said of professional development. “About 75 percent of professional development efforts fall on the floor.”
While I value team building exercises and professional development, I’m not convinced that an aviation environment or military-esque training is the right approach. First ask yourself what the desired outcome is from professional development. Is it best served by group activities, or is individualized and personalized coaching better for your team? Is it a “culture fix” you’re after, or do you need to address your hiring and retention policies?
“You can do all the ‘Kumbaya’ trust fall stuff, or you can get dirty with your team throwing tires onto NASCARs.” -Kris Kovacs, Chief Executive, Constellation
What if instead of “getting dirty with your team”, you instead prioritized the core foundational and imperative work of your company first. Undergoing tactics (pun intended) like these without a solid framework of culture and operationalized set of values simply yields a potentially fun and engaging outing for your employees (though I’d argue that these types of outings will not be “fun” for everyone on your team). What if we simply called these opportunities what they are, “employee outings” and stop naming them as professional development or lasting culture improvement experiences.
James Hatch, a former US Navy Seal - as interviewed on NPR - shared his viewpoint on after actions, as they were originally designed, a debrief on every choice and event in an effort to learn from them.
"We need to tear apart our conduct, all the choices we made," Hatch said. “Because if you don't seriously reflect on the choices made in tough situations, you're probably going to make mistakes again."
(in a followup article, it was shared that a Dean at Yale saw that original NPR interview and contacted Hatch to help implement the concept of after-action as a class at the Jackson School of Global Affairs)
Kera Rolsen is a United States Air Force officer, strategist, and B-52 aviator who joined me on the Leaving Well podcast. While she didn’t talk about professional development, or the use of after action reviews specifically, her broad range of experience from the tactical to strategic levels of planning across multiple regions of the world speaks to so much leadership expertise. To listen to Kera’s podcast, listen here.
“The Air Force talks about resilience as you just dig down deep and build resilience. What I never heard anybody talk about is the point where resilience fails. The concept that I really started wrapping my brain around is that resilience is a well, and in good times, you get the rain, and the well is full. You don't have to go into the cistern, you can dip into the well, and you can water the gardens of your life, right? When you hit the droughts, you hit the bad times, you're dipping into that well, and nothing is refilling it. I told the commander the day that I relinquished command ‘sir, I've gone to the well and I'm dredging muddy water. There's nothing left. I just have nothing left.” -Kera Rolsen on Leaving Well
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Let’s revisit the original purpose and use for an after action: improving process and execution by analyzing the intended outcome and actual outcome of an action and identifying practices to sustain, and practices to improve or initiate, and then practicing those changes at the next iteration of the action.
“Having a plan for before big stuff is important . . . but AFTER is equally necessary. When we finish our talk (or our meeting, or whatever the conversation is that you’re having) your nervous system is in FULL activation, and that is the time that it learns how to respond to a similar situation in the future.” -Casey Erin Clark and Julie Fogh, Founders of Vital Voice
I’ve recently begun encouraging my clients to introduce the concept of an after action review or after action session, especially when sunsetting a program at their nonprofit, when a project team is wrapping up their work, or a consultant team is ending their support of the organization.
Not only is this an important opportunity to reflect on the program’s lifecycle, it also provides valuable ways to understand its impact, and learn from the experience to inform future initiatives.
Here’s my recommended list of thoughtful questions to guide your after action review discussion. These questions aim to create a comprehensive and reflective conversation that honors the work done, acknowledges challenges, and captures valuable lessons for the future:
1. Opening Reflections
What were the original goals and objectives?
Were the original goals and objectives met? Why or why not?
What are the most significant successes or milestones we achieved?
2. Program/Project Impact
How did this impact the community or population it served?
What are the most notable outcomes or changes observed?
Were there any unexpected positive or negative impacts?
3. Team Involvement
How did the team collaborate?
What worked well / could have been improved in our communication and teamwork?
How did we engage with interested parties (community members, clients, community partners, funders) during the program?
Were there any key individuals or organizations we missed or could have involved more effectively?
4. Challenges and Obstacles
What were the biggest challenges or obstacles we encountered?
How did we address challenges, what could’ve been done differently?
Were there any resource constraints (time, budget, capacity, staffing) that impacted the success?
5. Lessons Learned
What are key lessons learned that can be applied to future initiatives?
What would we do differently to run a similar program or project again?
Are there any processes, tools, or strategies we developed that should be carried forward?
6. Client and Community Feedback
What feedback did we receive from the community or clients served by the program?
How did we respond to this feedback, and what impact did it have on the program’s direction?
How might this feedback inform our future work or similar programs?
7. Program Sustainability and Legacy
What aspects can/should be sustained or integrated into other areas of our work?
How will we ensure that the knowledge and experience gained from this program are retained within the organization?
Are there any ongoing needs or opportunities that emerged from the program that we should continue to address?
Can the lessons learned and the processes, tools, or strategies we developed be shared with our community partners, or with the general public?
8. Closing and Future Planning
How do we feel about the decision to (sunset, transfer, pause) the program or project?
What final steps or actions are needed to properly close this out?
How can we celebrate the work and contributions of the team and interested parties involved?
Who do we need to share our gratitude with, or recognize in some way, for their participation?
What are our next steps as an organization after the (sunset, transfer, pause)?
What advice would you give if you “knew then what you know now?”
While it can be helpful to bring in a facilitator to conduct your after action review, you can navigate this with your team without a consultant. If you go through this process without an external partner to conduct the session, it is advised to choose someone from your organization who is not closely affiliated with the project or program, so that there is impartiality, as well as to ensure that every participating team member has an equitable opportunity to share their experience and contribute to the after action review.
Pick the Right Time:
It’s important to schedule your after action session as soon as possible after the program or project ends, or in some cases, once the decision has been made to sunset or conclude the program or project.
I do not recommend an after action session taking place *during* a program or pilot, however a mid-program review can be helpful to determine where pivots and adjustments can be made, the after action review has an entirely different purpose.
By holding this session as soon as you can, the team’s observations and memory recall will be more applicable and appropriate for the purpose of the after action review session.
While you may currently practice the idea of holding a debrief session after programs are piloted, the after action review brings in the intentional comparison of initial goals with actual results.
Plan Ahead:
Review the suggested questions above, choosing which ones are applicable to your situation and organization, and consider adding additional questions.
Schedule the after action session(s) and consider breaking this process into several meetings. I recommend at least two hours, but that timing depends on how many team members will participate. Allowing each team member to have an appropriate amount of time to speak is important. An alternative to a group meeting is to conduct 1:1 interview sessions, or invite team members to submit audio, written, or video responses to your questions.
Once your session(s) are scheduled, provide all questions to the team members who will attend so they have time to prepare and give some thought to their experience and what they are willing to share.
Set the ‘Terms of Engagement: So that this experience is safe and rewarding for everyone involved, as well as purposeful, consider the following agreements from all who participate:
No shaming, no blaming
No experts, and no wrong answers
Aim for consensus, settle for clarification
Utilize Yes/And … and Both/And thinking
Comments provided will not be correlated with the name of the person sharing the feedback (to ensure anonymity if the documented after action session is shared widely or made public)
Participation shall be agreed to, either during the session, or in another method (audio, video, in writing) outside of the session
Documentation: Ensure that key insights, lessons learned, and recommendations are documented for future reference. This can be in the way of written documentation, or a collection of audio or video recordings, as well as photographs taken of sticky notes or any additional formats used to collect and curate the documentation.
Emotional and Mental Support:
It is extremely likely that you and your team members will have a range of emotions attached to the program or project, especially if there was a sudden decision to sunset or end the project, or if there are goodbyes required for consultants or team members whose time is ending because of the close of a program.
Acknowledge the emotional aspects of sunsetting a program and provide space for team members to express their feelings, whether it be pride, sadness, or a sense of closure, or any combination of all of the emotions.
I recommend utilizing the Emotion Wheel from Abby VanMuijen to help your team process and identify the wide range of emotions they may be experiencing.
It’s also wise to discuss as a group what your conflict resolution measures will be, as big emotions and important programs can bring up tension and potential conflict.
This section brings up the importance of sharing that a professional facilitator or external partner can help to diffuse and navigate tough conversations.
Follow-Up: Plan a follow-up session or report to summarize the after-action review, outline how the insights gained will be applied in the future, and determine what you’d like to do with the final after action documentation.
An after action review in a nonprofit or social impact organization is a powerful tool for reflecting on the successes and challenges of a program or project, enabling the team to capture valuable insights and lessons learned. Not only does It foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying what worked well and what could be enhanced, it also ensures that future initiatives benefit from past experiences.
Another benefit to conducting an after action review is to embed the concept of Leaving Well into your program design and project structures. By thoughtfully closing the loop and intentionally saying goodbye, your organization strengthens its ability to adapt, innovate, and better serve your community moving forward.
