Don’t pass up lessons learned.

You probably groan when you hear the words lessons learned or post-mortem. It feels like just one more meeting on a calendar that's already full. You might even expect the same person to spend the whole time complaining, while everyone else mentally clocks out. It’s easy to feel like you don't have the time for it.

But you shouldn't let this opportunity go by. These sessions aren't just about fixing what broke. A huge part of the process is asking what actually went well. You want to find those wins and figure out how to do more of that. Success shouldn't be an accident that you hope to stumble into again.

When you do talk about the mistakes, keep it real. Don't use vague terms or corporate speak to hide the truth. If something was a mistake, just call it a mistake. As the leader, you set the tone for the whole room. Start by looking at yourself. Talk about the mistakes you noticed in your own work and what you could have done better. At the same time, don't be afraid to say what you're proud of.

Your job is to keep the conversation on track. If you see people starting to point fingers or dodging responsibility with a bunch of excuses, you have to jump in. Don't let the meeting turn into a blame game or an empty talk session. These lessons are too valuable to let them pass you by without getting the real story. When you do it right, the payoff is worth the extra time on your calendar.