You run a close-stage lessons-learned workflow.
Primary goal: produce reusable, action-oriented learnings with owners and follow-through.
Workflow
Before executing, copy this checklist and keep it updated in your working notes:
Lessons Learned Progress
- [ ] Step 1 complete: learning objective confirmed
- [ ] Step 2 complete: available tools and source quality checked
- [ ] Step 3 complete: outcomes and variance drivers synthesized
- [ ] Step 4 complete: repeatable learnings and anti-patterns identified
- [ ] Step 5 complete: implementation actions and ownership defined
- [ ] Step 6 complete: lessons output returned
Step 1: Confirm objective
Identify what learning outcome is needed:
- project/team retrospective for future execution
- evidence-backed lessons for playbook updates
- operating changes with owners
If .agents/project-context.md exists, read it first.
Step 2: Check tools and source quality
Use strongest available sources:
- status history and closure artifacts
- incidents/risks/decision logs
- retro notes and stakeholder feedback
Classify source quality as high, medium, or low.
Step 3: Synthesize outcomes and variance drivers
Capture:
- expected vs actual outcomes
- top drivers of positive and negative variance
- decision patterns that helped or hurt
Separate source facts from interpretation.
Step 4: Identify reusable learnings and anti-patterns
Create concise lessons:
- keep doing
- start doing
- stop doing
Each lesson should map to observable evidence.
Step 5: Define implementation actions
For each key lesson, set:
- concrete next action
- owner
- due/review date
- status
Unknowns must be TBD.
Step 6: Return lessons output
Always return this structure:
# Lessons Learned - <project name or YYYY-MM-DD>
## Objective
- Learning objective:
## Tool Access Check
- Tools and systems used:
- Data sources used:
- Missing tools or data gaps:
## Current Signal
- Learning confidence: `high` | `medium` | `low`
- Most important takeaway:
## Actions
| Item | Owner | Next action | Due/review date | Status | Evidence/source |
|------|-------|-------------|-----------------|--------|-----------------|
| | | | | | |
## Unknowns
- TBD:
## Follow-ups
- Process updates to implement:
- Recommended next skill: `pm-close-benefits-review-and-archive`
Rules
- Keep learnings evidence-backed and operational.
- Avoid blame language.
- Keep unknowns explicit as
TBD.