<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->
A lessons log entry captures significant learning from projects, incidents, or experiences in a format that's useful to future teams who weren't there. Unlike retrospectives (which focus on team improvement), lessons logs focus on organizational knowledge that transcends individual teams.patterns, anti-patterns, and hard-won wisdom.
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Choose a Descriptive Title
Write a title that someone searching for this topic would find. Include keywords that describe the situation and the learning. Avoid generic titles like "Project X lessons."
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Provide Context
Explain the situation fully enough that someone who wasn't there can understand it. Include the project, timeline, team, and any relevant constraints. Future readers need this context to assess applicability.
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Describe What Happened
Write a factual account of what occurred. Be specific about actions taken, decisions made, and outcomes observed. Avoid blame.focus on events and systems.
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Extract the Lesson
Articulate what you learned clearly. The lesson should be actionable.something others can apply. Distinguish between what you observed and your interpretation of why it matters.
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Formulate Recommendations
Provide specific guidance for future teams facing similar situations. What should they do? What should they avoid? What questions should they ask?
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Define Applicability
Help readers know when this lesson applies. What situations trigger relevance? What context makes it more or less applicable?
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Add Tags for Searchability
Include keywords and categories that will help future searchers find this entry. Think about what someone would search for when facing a similar situation.