The reflex
A result disappoints. Several explanations circulate: the context, an assumption, a missing access, a decision. What is still open is which of them is supported and what can be learned.
The builder’s reflex
Report the result as it is known, examine the assumptions, and separate the choices you had from the constraints you did not control.
Why
An explanation by context can be right. It deserves examining just as an explanation by decision does, without assuming one is for excusing yourself and the other for being honest. It also happens that you cannot isolate a cause with the information available.
A community group prepares a workshop, and few people come. The time, getting to the venue, the wording of the invitation, and an unexpected event could all have played a part. Comparing the feedback you have helps you decide what to check next; it does not oblige the organiser to admit a fault, or the absentees to justify their choice.
The original reasoning and the result are examined separately. A reasonable assumption can be contradicted. Useful information may also have been missing for lack of access, time or means. Look at what was possible at the moment of deciding, without turning what you know now into something everyone should have seen.
A short record can help the same person, whoever takes over, or another team. Choose a suitable place and information you can share. A private review can be enough, especially when the consequences are sensitive. If you are supporting a team, make possible an analysis that leads to support or a fix, not to an obligation to confess in public.
Try this
Choose an attempt whose result deserves a review. With the people concerned, write:
What we expected and what that rested on: …
What we observed and what is still unknown: …
The constraints and options available at the time: …
The next step, its owner, and when it gets reviewed: …
The next step can be a change, another check, or a stop. At the agreed point, look at whether the lesson actually changed a decision. You may also find that no relevant change has been identified yet.
From where you sit
- Product: tell an observation apart from an explanation that is still an assumption.
- Management: look also at the means and the support available at the moment of the choice.
- Customer relations: bring the feedback you are allowed to share, without promising it explains everything.
- Recruiting: welcome an example of learning without requiring a personal failure.
To discuss
Which result deserves a review, and which explanations are still assumptions?