Documented insights, knowledge, and best practices gained from completed projects, experiences, or initiatives, typically captured in a systematic way to inform future decision-making and avoid repeating mistakes.
Military term from the mid-20th century, referring to tactical knowledge gained from combat experience. Business adopted it in the 1970s-80s as project management matured, recognizing the value of systematically capturing and sharing experiential knowledge.
Most organizations are terrible at actually using lessons learned—they document them beautifully and then file them away forever. The companies that really benefit create searchable databases and require teams to review relevant lessons before starting new projects. Knowledge only has value when it's applied.
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