Lessons learned in project management: 5-step process

Project deliverables aren't the only valuable things you can take away from a project. Whether your initiative is a resounding success, an unfortunate failure, or somewhere in between, there are always lessons to be learned from any project.

Effectively capturing and documenting the lessons learned, however, can be tricky. In this article, we'll walk you through how to conduct and capture lessons learned in project management, why they matter, and how to share that information with other project managers.

What are lessons learned in project management?

Lessons learned in project management are documented insights from a project that capture what went well, what didn't, and what to improve next time. By conducting a lessons learned session and creating a formal report, you provide your entire team with a resource to improve future projects.

Documented lessons learned can be shared with other project managers running similar initiatives or with team members getting started on similar projects. Sharing lessons learned across teams is a great way to prevent the same mistakes. Not only can you learn from your project mistakes through a lessons learned report, but everyone else can, too.

You can capture lessons learned at any point during the project timeline. In fact, depending on the project's complexity, you may want to conduct a lessons learned session at the end of each project management phase to capture information while it's still fresh. Try our lessons learned template to help you record what went well, what went wrong, and what to improve on future projects.

Different types of lessons learned sessions

You may have conducted a lessons learned session by a different name, such as an after-action review. Here are the most common formats:

The important thing is to capture the information and share it with everyone. No matter what you call it, aim to conduct at least one lessons learned session per project.

Why lessons learned matter

Capturing lessons learned isn't just a box to tick; it's an investment in your team's future success. Here's why it matters:

• Avoid repeating mistakes: When you document what went wrong, you create a roadmap for future teams to sidestep the same issues.

• Identify opportunities for improvement: Recognise which processes, tools, or strategies can be refined using process improvement methodologies to work better next time.

• Encourage knowledge sharing: Lessons learned create a culture where insights flow freely between teams, reducing silos and fostering collaboration.

• Build institutional memory: When team members move on, their hard-won knowledge stays with your organisation through effective knowledge management.

• Foster continuous improvement: Regular reflection helps your team get better with every project, building momentum over time.

When you make lessons learned a priority, you're not just closing out a project; you're setting your next one up for success.

5 steps to conduct a lessons learned

If you're just getting started with lessons learned, use these five steps to ensure you accurately capture, document, and share the project's information so everyone can access it.

1. Identify

This is where you identify lessons learned from the project to document in step two. The Identify phase is made up of three steps:

Step 1: Send lessons learned survey

Immediately after the project is completed, or at the end of a significant project phase, send a lessons learned survey to every team member. To make the most of this step:

• Act quickly: Capture feedback while it's still fresh in everyone's mind.

• Include everyone: Send the survey to all project team members, not just leads.

• Aggregate the data: Compile responses to get a clear picture of what the team learned.

The lessons learned survey is one of the most important parts of the lessons learned process. Below is a template you can use. This survey is typically general to any project, though you can adapt the questions to suit your project's needs.

Step 2: Schedule the lessons learned session

Before the session, select a facilitator who isn't the project manager, as this helps team members feel comfortable speaking freely. The facilitator should then prepare the team by sharing:

• The original project plan and project objectives

• A timeline of key milestones and accomplishments

• Any relevant context for complex projects

Step 3: Conduct the lessons learned

In addition to the lessons learned survey, host a live brainstorming session for all team members. This is a chance for team members to expand upon their lessons learned. In particular, there are three main questions to ask during the lessons learned brainstorming session:

1. What went right?

2. What went wrong?

3. What could be improved?

2. Document

The main point of running a lessons learned session is to share these lessons with the entire team. Plan to create a detailed lessons learned report with all of the project information and discussion notes, as well as an executive summary of the lessons learned for relevant project stakeholders to review.

Format of a lessons learned report

• Executive summary

• Summary of findings

• Lessons learned survey(s)

• Recommendations in detail

3. Analyze

Analyse the survey data and session notes to identify patterns and actionable insights. For mid-project sessions, apply findings to improve upcoming phases. For end-of-project sessions, use insights to strengthen your next initiative from the start.

4. Store

Store lessons learned in a central repository accessible to everyone, such as a project management tool. With a central source of truth, project leads can access shared information to best prepare for their projects.

5. Retrieve

If you're running a similar project, search for a lessons learned report from a past project to avoid making the same mistakes as a previous project. These reports should be shared in a central source of truth that all project managers can review before beginning the project planning process.

Use a lessons learned survey template

A well-designed survey ensures you capture accurate, comprehensive feedback from every team member. Use the template below as a starting point and adapt the questions to suit your project's needs.

A change log template pairs well with a lessons learned debrief because it provides your team with a record of what changed, why it changed, and how those changes affected the outcome.

Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements:

If you select Disagree or Strongly Disagree, please provide additional information to help improve our future project planning process.

Project planning

The project plan included the correct level of detail. I had everything I needed to understand the project.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project plan clearly explained the project's purpose.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project's scope was well defined.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project schedule was clear and easy to follow.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project communication plan clearly defined how and where I should communicate about project work.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project plan was shared with all stakeholders and was easy to find.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

As a stakeholder, I'm happy with my level of involvement in the project planning process.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Project execution

I understood everyone's responsibilities during the project lifecycle.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Project stakeholders were engaged and effectively involved in the project work.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project environment was collaborative.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project manager was available and responsive.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Project changes were manageable and fit within the project scope.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The initial project schedule, documented in the project plan, closely matched the actual project schedule.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project outcome matched the definition in the original project charter.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project team had a shared understanding of their goals and individual responsibilities.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Outcome

The project was realistic and achievable.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Assignments were clearly defined throughout the project lifecycle.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

The project had strong performance metrics to help define success.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

I believe we hit the project goal.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

My involvement in the project, including workload, time, and effort, met my expectations.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• Not applicable

Turn lessons into action with Asana

Capturing lessons learned helps you pass on institutional knowledge so your team doesn't have to reinvent the wheel. When past insights connect to future work, everyone starts their next project on the right foot.

With Asana, you can:

• Store lessons in one place: Create a central repository that's easy for everyone to access.

• Connect insights to action: Link lessons directly to tasks in your next project.

• Build team accountability: Assign follow-up actions so improvements actually happen.

Get started and see how Asana helps teams learn, grow, and deliver their best work.

Frequently asked questions about lessons learned