Dome Insights is 100% HGC (Human Generated Content) where we explore various topics, from personal and professional growth to the intricacies of construction, including cutting-edge technology and industry best practices.

With great regularity, we are bombarded with messages about the importance of learning from our failures. And I couldn’t agree more. Yet most of these quips stop short of communicating how we turn failure into progress. One step to consider… structured reflection.

As an individual, learning from our mistakes is often more organic and immediate. If you touch a hot stove, you burn your hand, so won’t do that again. As a group, learning from challenges must be more structured and intentional because to gain the greatest benefits, learning from failure must be socialized.

Back in 2011, Dome lost our entire company’s annual profit on one project that failed on nearly every measure – except quality. (The building is magnificent.) This, coupled with the Great Recession created some dark times. What ensued was a year of deep reflection, which established a clear set of project best practices (our “Do It Right” List) and our structured learning systems (Dome University).

What does structured reflection look like?

GATHER – Engage all perspectives
SHARE – What went well? (Plusses), What could have been better? (Deltas). EVERY voice is heard; individuals have an opportunity to clarify thoughts and perspectives.
SYNTHESIZE – What themes emerge?
ANALYZE – Why did the key issues happen?
COMMIT TO CHANGE – What will we do differently next time? What will we do to continuously improve, even the things we did well.
INSTITUTIONALIZE – What process or tool needs to be modified and how will the learnings be shared globally to broaden the impact?

This process can, and should, happen on a regular basis throughout the course of a project, not just at the end. When it becomes a habit, it is equally impactful on efforts that are going well. It’s not just about fixing things that are broken, it’s also about harnessing the things that are driving success.

Without fail, when this process happens, it generates positive results. The challenge we find is making the time to actually do it.

I’m curious, what other roadblocks do people see in sustaining structured reflection? Is there a problem project in your world that could benefit from reflection?