Kent Greenes writes Learning fast to stay relevant in a flat world in his Future of the Future column at KMWorld. It's a nice, brief description of the Lessons Learned process as practiced by the US Army and as described in Learning to Fly. I also like the link Kent makes to the importance of learning and reflection.
Here is the checklist he presents in the article for learning before, during and after. I see the goal of a process of ongoing improvement in these:
To "learn before doing" at the start of your day or any activity:
- What is supposed to happen today?
- How will I know if I'm successful?
- What knowledge do I need to get what I want done, and where can I get it?
- What help do I need?
To "learn while doing" in the middle of a task or activity:
- What was supposed to happen up until now?
- What has actually happened?
- Why are 1 and 2 different?
- What can I learn and do about it right now?
To "learn after doing" at the end of the day or a task:
- What stands out for me that is new or different?
- What should I repeat next time I do this, and why?
- What should I do different next time, and why?
- Who else may be facing similar challenges and might find this useful?