Conduct a Personal “post-Action Review” to Improve Your Productivity
Planning what you’re going to do makes a huge difference to productivity, which is why SMART goals (and their alternatives ) are so popular throughout the world of work. However, another important (but perhaps more overlooked) element of the performance improvement process is assessment. Analyzing what you’ve done is just as important as planning how you’ll do it: by analyzing, you can better plan (and improve!) next time.
What is a post-action review?
After Action Review, or AAR, is a way to measure the results of your work and improve your processes. It was first fielded by the US Army to provide feedback to units following collective exercises. The Army has actually produced a ton of literature on the subject, but what you need to know is that when done correctly, it is standardized, done the same way every time, and is useful in creating a framework that can improve future work.
You will notice that it was designed for departments or teams and is usually led by a facilitator who encourages participants to discuss each part of the work with the group. This can also be beneficial for individuals because the process for completing an AAR is standardized and easy to follow. Build time into your schedule to conduct a personal AAR after large projects, such as those you need to complete at work (or even cleaning the house!). You can do this at the end of the week or at the end of the project, but you should be sure to write everything down, whether in a planner or in a document that you can add to a larger project file, such as a single source of truth (SSOT).
What is included in the AAR?
When conducting an AAR, you will ask yourself four questions, and they will always be the same:
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What did I set out to achieve?
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What I’ve done?
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Why did everything happen this way?
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What will I do to change my strategy or execution to achieve a better result next time OR how can I repeat my success?
Essentially, think about what you wanted to do, what you actually did, what contributed to the outcome, and what you can take away for future attempts. Even going over this checklist in your head is good practice, but it’s best to write it down so you can refer back to it the next time you’re in the planning stages of a new project.
For example, let’s say you want to clean your kitchen. This is the answer to the first question. What you actually did, whether it was cleaning the kitchen, avoiding a task, or putting in only half the effort, is the answer to the second question. The third question is where you can actually do some self-reflection. If you were cleaning the kitchen, was it because you had company over and you felt a sense of urgency? This may have been because you needed a sense of accomplishment after an unproductive week. If you didn’t clean it, was it because you were feeling depressed? Were you too busy? Did you lack the right tools for the job? Once you have identified your reasons, you can include them in the answer to question four by writing something like: “I will clean the kitchen weekly so that I am always prepared for unexpected company,” “I will follow a set routine.” a cleaning method so I don’t feel overwhelmed” or “I’ll buy better cleaning tools so my next attempt will go more smoothly.”
When it’s time to clean again, you’ll plan ahead as usual, scheduling activities and setting goals. Go back to your AAR to refresh your memory of what went well and what went wrong the last time you attempted the task. Over time, you will eliminate the problems that prevent you from performing at your best and getting more results.