Change: Learn afterward with an AAR system

Use the After Action Review (AAR) system, first developed by the U.S. Army as a system for a team or organization to “learn after doing.” AAR is a nonthreatening review technique of “what happened” versus “the plan” by the leader and team. The goal is to correct mistakes and sustain successes. The lessons learned are captured and passed on in the organization.

Related Best Practices

• After Action Review
• Changing Your Organization
• The Living Company - Learning Organizations

Resources

Harvard Business School has a kit that assists in the introduction of the AAR system. Harvard Business School also has two other modules for the “learning organization”. The three modules are:

• “Learning Before Doing” – A case study of a system developed by Timken Company
• “Learning While Doing” - A case study of a system developed by General Electric
• “Learning After Doing” – After Action Review system developed by the US Army

• There is a good article of explanation by Professor David Garvin, “Building a Learning Organization”, Harvard Business Review, July 1993.
• Donald Clark provides a good overview of the AAR system.
• The Fire Fighters training site has many links, references and articlesincluding Harvard Business Review.
• “Hope is Not a Method” by Gordon R. Sullivan and Michael V. Harper, Random House, 1996 is an excellent book on organizational learning and renewal. It documents the AAR system in the US Army.

Author

The author of this page is Terry Gardiner

Terry Gardiner is the founder and President of Silver Lining Seafoods and NorQuest Seafoods - a medium-size Alaska seafood processing company; and currently a Board member of the Anvil Corporation, an employee-owned company specializing in oil and gas engineering.

His co-operative experiences include member director of the Commercial Fishermen Co-operative association; creation of legislation for the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank; and advisor to the US Dept of Health and Social Services for the state Health CO-OPs.

Terry served ten years as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives -several legislative committee chairmanships, Speaker of the House, Chairman of the Alaska Criminal Code Commission and board member on various state and federal boards and commissions.

His non-profit experiences include National Policy Director for the Small Business Majority in Washington DC; working with the Herndon Alliance and ForTerra.

Terry authored the leadership book, "Six-Word Lessons to Build Effective Leaders: 100 Lessons to Equip Your People to Create Winning Organizations".

For more check: Terry Gardiner Long bio