Skip to content
Tweak Your Biz home.
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Reviews
    • Business
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Growth
    • Sales
    • Marketing
    • Management
  • Who We Are

What Makes An After Action Review Successful

By Frank Bradley Published November 24, 2010 Updated December 1, 2022

In the first part of my 2 part series looking at After Action Reviews, I explained what an After Action Review is, and outlined the different activities that take place during it. In part 2, I want to follow up with an overview of what needs to be done to ensure that an After Action Review is successful.

Let’s get straight to it, with my 8 tips on how to ensure that the process is successful

Have a good independent facilitator

The facilitator role is key, as they will dictate the direction and pace of the After Action Review. If the AAR is to be a success it is vital that they remain impartial. For this reason it is good practice to have a facilitator who was not involved in the project. Where I work, we have a pool of trained facilitators who make themselves available for a certain number of After Action Reviews each year.

Everyone involved in the project needs to attend

There is no point in doing an After Action Review if everyone in the project can’t be there. If anyone is missing you will almost certainly miss out on some aspect of what happened during the project. As a result you will be unable to identify all of the potential learning.

Ensure there is no blame

It must be clear going into the After Action Review that the purpose is to focus on learning, and not on finding a scapegoat. The climate, should be open and free from free, in order for there to be a successful outcome. The facilitator should make this clear at the start of the review.

What happens in the After Action Review, stays in the After Action Review

The only content that should be discussed outside of the review, is content that the participants agree to share. Normally this takes the form of Action Reports, which are created at the end of the review. This is important as participants will then feel free to be open when discussing the project. Again the facilitator should make this clear at the start of the review.

Meet as soon as possible after the project conclusion

It is key that the After Action Review takes place as quickly as possible after the project. Finding out how people felt about a project i.e. exploring their emotions is an important aspect of learning what to do the next time. After time passes most people forget how they felt, especially if they go on to work on other projects. The danger of leaving too long a period, is that the focus will only be on technical aspects of the project.

Create SMART Actions to be taken out of the Review

SMART actions (Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, Timely) are essential if what is learned from the After Action Review is to be applied successfully in the future. If actions are too fuzzy, and not assigned an owner then what was learned during the review, may not make a difference next time.

Output should be linked training

To ensure that mistakes during a project are not repeated by others in future projects, it is important that what is learned during the After Action Review, is embedded into company training programs.

Leader Support

It is crucial that senior members of the team are fully supportive of the After Action Review. Any indication that management do not support the process can quickly spread to more junior members of the team, and as a result the review is not taken seriously.

As you can see there are a lot of factors that go into making this process successful. Based on my experience I would highly recommend the tool to anyone who is committed to learning not just at an individual level, but also at the organisational level.

Let me know what you think via the comments. Have you participated in an After Action Review in the past? If so, what factors contributed to its success? For those of you who haven’t used this process, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Posted in Growth

Enjoy the article? Share it:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Email

Frank Bradley

I live in Kilkenny, Ireland, and I'm married with one daughter. I was born in Derry, and came to Kilkenny via Manchester, England, and Dublin.

My passion is all things Social Media, and for the last 2 years I have been working as a Social Media Evangelist for Oracle, where I have worked for the last 8 years. This role entails, promoting the use of Social Media internally for improved communication and collaboration.

My other interests include sports, especially football (soccer), reading, video games, movies/tv, music and walking.

Contact author via email

View all posts by Frank Bradley

Signup for the newsletter

Sign For Our Newsletter To Get Actionable Business Advice

* indicates required
Contents
Have a good independent facilitator
Everyone involved in the project needs to attend
Ensure there is no blame
What happens in the After Action Review, stays in the After Action Review
Meet as soon as possible after the project conclusion
Create SMART Actions to be taken out of the Review
Output should be linked training
Leader Support

Related Articles

Business
Growth

Transform How You Nurture Business Relationships

Elizabeth Barlowe July 30, 2025
Business
Growth

How to Build a Standout Limousine Service That Customers Keep Coming Back To?

Jessica Miller July 28, 2025
Business
Growth

Kevin Ciresi Weighs in on Europe’s $18.6 Billion Medical Tourism Boom in 2025

Jarred Wrangler July 24, 2025

Footer

Tweak Your Biz
Visit us on Facebook Visit us on X Visit us on LinkedIn

Privacy Settings

Company

  • Contact
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

Signup for the newsletter

Sign For Our Newsletter To Get Actionable Business Advice

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Tweak Your Biz.

Disclaimer: If you click on some of the links throughout our website and decide to make a purchase, Tweak Your Biz may receive compensation. These are products that we have used ourselves and recommend wholeheartedly. Please note that this site is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide financial advice. You can read our complete disclosure statement regarding affiliates in our privacy policy. Cookie Policy.

Tweak Your Biz
Sign For Our Newsletter To Get Actionable Business Advice
[email protected]