After-Action Review Template: What Happened, Why, What to Change
Four questions first used by the US Army after missions: what was supposed to happen, what actually happened, why it was different, and what to keep or change. Facts first, then lessons, no blame.
Uses the after-action review, a debrief format with solid research behind it. See the sources
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When to use it
- Right after a project, launch, event or incident
- After a conversation that didn't go as planned
- At the end of a sprint or a busy week
What it's based on
Four questions first used by the US Army after missions: what was supposed to happen, what happened, why, and what to change. Meta-analyses of debriefs like this show solid performance gains, mostly in teams.
Research-backed
Built on a technique that's been tested in published studies. The sources below say how strong that evidence is.
Individual, self-led use is less studied than team debriefs.
Sources
How to use it well
Do it soon, while details are fresh
Write what was supposed to happen before what actually happened
Look for causes, not culprits
Turn 'what to change' into a concrete action you can tick off
FAQ
Meta-analyses of debriefs found clear performance gains, mostly in teams. Doing one on your own is less studied but follows the same steps.
Very similar. A retrospective is the agile version, usually with a team. This template works for both, solo or with others.
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