Knowledge Management - Learning Whilst Doing - Facilitating an After Action ReviewLearn Management Articles on management-info.biz. Knowledge Management - Learning Whilst Doing - Facilitating an After Action Review article will help answer your questions on Management Articles.We at management-info.biz specialize in Management Articles. Management Articles at management-info.biz provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Introducing a learning culture into organisations can be difficult at times, particularly if the effort required it great and the benefits aren't quickly identifiable. After Action Reviews (known as AARs) are one of the simplest knowledge management techniques, and have been used to great effect in organisations ranging from the US Army, to BP, and even in the development sector in NGOs like TearFund. Their power comes from the fact that they take little time, generate rapid results, and the approach can be easily learned and repeated. In summary, they have a "low barrier to entry". So how do you conduct an AAR? AARs are a simple way for individuals and teams to learn immediately, from both successes and failures, regardless of the length of the task in question. The learning is by the team, for the team. The format is very simple and quick - its a "pencil and paper" or flipchart exercise. In an open and honest meeting, usually no longer than twenty minutes, each participant in the event answers four simple questions:
The guidelines below are drawn from the book "Learning to Fly - Practical knowledge management from leading and learning organisations? (Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell), and sets out the key steps to facilitating an effective After Action Review. 1. Hold the AAR immediately. AARs are carried out immediately whilst all of the participants are still available, and their memories are fresh. Learning can then be applied right away, even on the next day. 2. Create the right climate. The ideal climate for an AAR to be successful is one of openness and commitment to learning. Everyone should participate in an atmosphere free from the concept of seniority or rank. AARs are learning events rather than critiques or audits. They certainly should not be treated as personal performance evaluation. The US Army describe an environment where "you pin your stripes to the wall" before starting an AAR. 3. Appoint a facilitator. The facilitator of an AAR is not there to "give" answers, but to help the team to "learn" answers. Learning must be drawn out, both from the individual and for the group?s learning. 4. Ask "what was supposed to happen?" The facilitator should start by dividing the event into discrete activities, each of which had (or should have had!) an identifiable objective and plan of action. The discussion begins with the first question: "What was supposed to happen?" 5. Ask "what actually happened"? This means the team must understand and agree facts about what happened. Facts - not opinions. Remember, the aim is to identify a problem or learning point - not a culprit! 6. Now compare the plan with reality. The real learning begins as the team of teams compares the plan to what actually happened in reality and determines "Why were there differences?" and "What did we learn?" Identify and discuss successes and shortfalls. Put in place action plans to sustain the successes and to improve upon the shortfalls. 7. Record the key points. Recording the key elements of an AAR (initially on a flipchart) clarifies what happened and compares it to what was supposed to happen. It facilitates sharing of learning experiences within the team and provides the basis for a broader learning programme in the organisation. That's all there is to it. Why not build an AAR into the agenda of your next major team meeting, training event, negotiation or project review meeting? You'll be surprised at how quickly you learn what you didn't know. ErrorDoctor: 5,000,000+ Users Worldwide! - Add ErrorDoctor to your Review Site and watch the sales come in! Secret Formula For Cheerleading Success. - Announcing the hottest cheerleading secrets that will have you dazzling the competition- Guaranteed! Earn $12.34 after Cb fees. Sustainability is the hottest topic and it’s a pleasure to publish this blog from guest writer, Mark McCullough, marketing manager at Lexmark Canada. Sustainability is a big buzz-word in today’s business world but what does it mean from an IT perspective? It goes without saying that engineering a “green” corporate environment must involve the entire organization, however, there are numerous ways the IT team can implement sustainable practices. Monitor your Output Establishing a responsible approach to printing is one of the easiest ways to make a significant reduction to your office’s carbon footprint. Think about how often a user prints a multi-page article when he only needs the information contained on a single page, or the amount of documents printed in error, or how many printed pages are often abandoned at a workstation. Most enterprise printing devices today contain several easy to use solutions that help foster a more intelligent approach to printing. For example, features like “Proof then Print” require users to preview the document prior to initiating the print feature, reducing waste resulting from unwanted pages. In addition to the obvious sustainability benefit of examining your printing processes, there is also a significant financial advantage realized when you encourage more responsible printing. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle It’s relatively easy to recycle the paper waste your office generates. The same principles should be applied to other functions in the office. For example, what do you do with old computers, faxes and printers once they’ve been replaced with newer models? Many manufacturers offer free “end-of-life” recycling solutions where your old equipment will be collected, brought to a dedicated recycling facility and, in most cases, turned into a new product in some capacity. This is also true of the materials in your office technology—for example, toner, ink, fax ribbons, computer chips. The more you can incorporate recycling throughout your technology environment, the more you will do your part to lower your organization’s carbon footprint. Consider the Cloud One way to reduce the amount of electricity your company consumes is to move some of your data off-premise and to the cloud. With fewer servers on-site, you can cut down on your electricity bill—in some cases, significantly. According to a recent study conducted by Pike Research (Link to: http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/cloud-computing-could-cut-data-center-energy-consumption-by-nearly-one-third-by-2020?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PikeResearchNewsroom+%28Pike+Research+%C2%BB+Newsroom%29), data center power consumption will decrease 31 percent between 2010 and 2020 as a result of the cloud computing model. More Mobility It’s an investment up front, but arming employees with technology to make them more mobile can also reduce your consumption overhead. For example, giving employees laptops to replace their desktops enables them to be just as productive from home as they would be at the office. With more mobile technology, when workers need to work late to complete a project they tend to leave the office at a normal time and pick the job back up at home. This allows companies to cut costs associated with keeping electricity and heat/AC running late, which is an unexpected green benefit. Police your Policies A lot of organizations have set policies governing technology use but IT managers aren’t always good about enforcing them. To foster sustainability within your organization, make sure employees are adhering to these by sending frequent reminders asking them to turn their computers off at night, make sure printers, faxes and other devices are set to power-saving mode and that desk lamps and all other technologies at individual workstations are turned off at the end of the day. Sustainability is increasingly becoming an area of focus across the organization. By taking steps to ensure your IT practices include as many “green” components as possible, you can help your company achieve its larger corporate sustainability goals. Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 |
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