226 Project Management
- Lessons Learned. This is a technique to transfer the
knowledge gained through your project experiences to
the rest of your organization. This can take many forms,
but it’s often a written report that gets circulated across
the entire organization. - Closing Report. Some organizations require a formal
report that describes how well the project met its original
targets, explains deviations from the plan, and tells
whether the benefits promised in the original business
case are likely to be realized. For technology-rich proj-
ects, the organization often expects technical reports,
which describe the project team’s experiences in using
or creating technology.
Project Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 11
❏ Communication and documentation are critical support
functions. Think of them as the backbone of strong project
management. Top project managers do both effectively.❏ Prepare a comprehensive list of your communication and
documentation expectations at the beginning of your proj-
ect. Review it in detail with your team.❏ Communication sometimes requires considerable fore-
thought. When you need to make an important connection
with someone, consider the best approach and the best
communication medium for the situation.❏ Don’t overlook the value and efficiency of group meetings.
And don’t underestimate the value of getting a reputation
as someone who runs an efficient meeting.❏ The key to effective documentation is adopting a “fitness
for use” mentality. People resent filling out forms and gen-
erating paperwork for the sake of feeding the process.
Make sure that the documents you request add value to
the process.