Construction projects are made up of a million moving parts. As a general contractor or a project manager, it is critical to plan and put systems in place to keep it running smoothly. While the planning phase is essential, the monitoring and control phases are as equally important to ensure that they are successful and meet their objectives. The project review process is a crucial component of the monitoring and control phase of the project life cycle because, as newbies or seasoned project managers know, construction plans are rarely carried out without a hitch.
Completing the construction project itself is one of the most fulfilling experiences throughout the project management process. No doubt, you and your team have put in a lot of time, money, and effort to get here, so it is essential to pause, appreciate all of your hard work, and review everything that went well and what did not before continuing to your following projects. This is where the postmortem report comes in. It offers an excellent opportunity to reflect and promote experience and knowledge from finished projects. In this article, we review the essential elements of a project postmortem and offer a few tips and tricks for organizing a productive and efficient discussion.
What is a Construction Project Postmortem Report?
Once you have declared the project completed, it is critical to hold a project postmortem meeting and report. It allows you to discover and create action items for subsequent projects, exchange knowledge among team members, and evaluate the possible reasons why a project succeeded or failed.
At a postmortem meeting, all project managers, team members, and trade partners gather to discuss the project’s results thoroughly. This is where we review and compare the project’s original baseline with its objectives, procedures, performance, and results. They give your project team the opportunity to determine what worked effectively and what could have been done differently. All participants can share their experiences without fear of repercussions because the meeting promotes an honest and open discourse that can improve the company’s operations and processes in the long run.
Consequently, it is a great way to evaluate your team’s workflow, recognize successes, and make necessary adjustments to improve future performance.
There are a few terms used to call a postmortem:
Project Debrief
This term has military roots, as teams would “debrief” following a mission to analyze what transpired.
Project Retrospective
A project perspective is often used in Agile project management. It is commonly performed following a sprint cycle to allow the team to reflect, as Agile’s main objective is continual improvement.
Project Recap
A project recap is usually a written report that summarizes the main ideas discussed during a meeting. It should also include how the project accomplished the goal.
Wrap-up Meeting
At the conclusion of a project, a wrap-up meeting is frequently held to finalize any outstanding issues.
The Difference between Postmortem and Premortem
The main difference between the two meetings is when the meeting takes place. Premortem meetings are held before a project starts in order to reduce risk. In this meeting, the team actively examines every scenario that might go wrong and prepares any risk management schemes or contingency plans during a premortem discussion.
On the other hand, postmortem meetings take place after the project has started. They are retrospectives that consider the project’s events.
The Importance of Holding Postmortem Meetings
As mentioned earlier, postmortem meetings give all relevant parties an open forum for cooperation and communication, which helps them build institutional knowledge.
During a postmortem meeting, project teams determine not only what went wrong but also the underlying causes of an issue. The team should be able to probe deeply into the underlying difficulties or problems that lead to a system, process, or activity failing or performing poorly. From there, the team should be able to find and highlight beneficial practices that should be used in future projects.
Postmortem meetings can benefit you in the following ways:
Learn From Experiences in Previous Projects
The main benefit of postmortem meetings is that they help general contractors or project managers improve operations and streamline procedures for upcoming projects. You can use the input and insights you get from reflecting on a project’s successes or failures to guide your next project’s planning. If a project does not go as planned, you can use this as an opportunity to modify your approach. Applying the knowledge you have gained from previous projects can also reduce risk and help you avoid deadly mistakes that can have an impact on your project or timeline.
Increase Team Communication and Collaboration
One of the main advantages of holding a postmortem meeting is the opportunity for project managers to step back and consider how other team members felt about their contribution to the project.
The success of a project depends on how well a team collaborates. Therefore, it is critical to provide an environment where everyone can share their expertise.
Boost Team Morale
One way to boost team morale is to set aside time to consider your team’s achievements. While it could be simple to finish a job and move on to the next one straight away, team building requires taking the time to recognize and appreciate your group’s accomplishments.
The postmortem meeting provides an excellent platform to recognize team members who exceeded expectations.
The Challenges of Holding Postmortems
Project managers often overlook postmortem meetings. This may be due to a number of reasons, such as a lack of time due to other projects, a lack of individuals trained to perform an adequate analysis, a lack of specified criteria, or personnel unavailability. However, it is impossible to overestimate the significance of undertaking project postmortems. They are valuable tools for companies to invest in their knowledge management and examine the way they do things.
How to Conduct a Successful Postmortem Meeting
The most well-structured postmortems are the best. It could be uncomfortable to have the first postmortem meeting if your company has never done one. But if you follow the procedures, you can accomplish this. In this section, we have listed down a few easy steps to help you start running a productive postmortem meeting.
How to Conduct a Successful Postmortem Meeting
The most well-structured postmortems are the best. It could be uncomfortable to have the first postmortem meeting if your company has never done one. But if you follow the procedures, you can accomplish this. In this section, we have listed down a few easy steps to help you start running a productive postmortem meeting.
Try to Meet Immediately After the Project’s Completion
A postmortem analysis works best immediately after the project completion when your team members’ memories of the project are still vivid. Scheduling the meeting within an acceptable time frame is the best way to do this. Before starting a team retrospective, this gives your team a brief respite to consider their time following the project.
Send Pre-Meeting Prompts
Sending a prompt or a questionnaire to your team in the interim between the project’s completion and the postmortem meeting will help you gather some early insights into their opinions about the project. If multiple team members bring up the same problem, make sure the subject is a significant topic of conversation during your postmortem meeting.
Share The Agenda
It’s a good idea to provide the agenda before any meeting, not just postmortems. Giving the team advance notice of essential subjects allows them to prepare some ideas in advance.
Assign A Moderator
Decide on a moderator and notetaker before the meeting begins. Since doing both at the same time can cause conversational lulls, it is best if these are two distinct team members. While someone else takes notes, the primary project manager frequently serves as the moderator of the discussion.
Identify Mistakes
This may seem like a delicate topic, and if you handle it poorly, your postmortem may come out as unfavorable. In actuality, though, errors present priceless teaching moments. Your team is unlikely to make the same mistakes again after you have objectively identified them.
Celebrate Wins
Postmortems are more than just about pointing fingers at what went wrong. They give you an opportunity to highlight your team’s successes. During the postmortem meeting, consider setting aside some time to go around the room and pinpoint each person’s accomplishments. Express gratitude to everyone for their contributions and be specific. Your team members will feel appreciated if they receive this kind of acknowledgment.
Send A Meeting Recap
Send a summary of the key conclusions to your team after the meeting. Share your preliminary ideas about what your team can anticipate for their upcoming project, and make sure to add any action items you identified during the discussion.
Provide Closure
Establishing a ceremony to mark the conclusion of a project has many advantages. Your postmortem meeting lets your team know that the project is finished and that they shouldn’t worry about unfinished business or the deadline at night. Your projects will feel more accomplished and definitive if you use postmortems to conclude them.
Document the Post Mortem Analysis
If you fail to document your postmortem meetings, all the effort you put into them is for nothing. Try using construction project management software or tools to improve teamwork and project success.
Improve Your Processes
You and your team have thought of creative ways to improve the efficiency of your process. What comes next? Try to specify who is in charge of each action item. You should also list the key lessons and conclusions that were drawn from the meeting. Even people with hectic schedules can benefit from this condensed version of your sessions.
Key Takeaway
At first glance, postmortems seem like another pointless gathering. In reality, though, they are practical instruments for rethinking procedures and boosting productivity. Additionally, your staff might look forward to participating in them so that their efforts can be acknowledged in public.
Postmortem analysis is an essential and healthy method of ensuring that your team keeps getting better.
