After Action Review • WorkshopBank
Space: A room where the team can sit facing each other, ideally in a circle or U-shape A wall or whiteboard visible to all participants for capturing notes Private space where the conversation will not be overheard by people outside the team
How to run it
- When the team has no shared experience to review. An AAR requires that participants were actually involved in the event. Observers or stakeholders who were not part of the action should not lead or dominate the review.
- When too much time has passed since the event. Memory fades fast. An AAR conducted weeks later will produce vague generalisations rather than specific, actionable learning.
- When leadership is not willing to hear honest feedback. If senior leaders will shut down criticism or override the team's conclusions, the AAR will backfire and erode trust.
- For ongoing, slow-burn issues with no clear start and end point. The AAR needs a defined event or time period to review.
- An After Action Review is a structured debrief where a team reviews what just happened by comparing what was supposed to happen with what actually happened, then works out why there was a gap and what to do about it.
- Also Known As AAR Post-Action Review When to Use It Immediately after a completed project, event, sprint, or initiative while the experience is still fresh
- Space: A room where the team can sit facing each other, ideally in a circle or U-shape A wall or whiteboard visible to all participants for capturing notes Private space where the conversation will not be overheard by people outside the team
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Prompts to use +
For ongoing, slow-burn issues with no clear start and end point. The AAR needs a defined event or time period to review.
An After Action Review is a structured debrief where a team reviews what just happened by comparing what was supposed to happen with what actually happened, then works out why there was a gap and what to do about it.
Also Known As AAR Post-Action Review When to Use It Immediately after a completed project, event, sprint, or initiative while the experience is still fresh
Space: A room where the team can sit facing each other, ideally in a circle or U-shape A wall or whiteboard visible to all participants for capturing notes Private space where the conversation will not be overheard by people outside the team
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Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: After Action Review • WorkshopBank. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: For ongoing, slow-burn issues with no clear start and end point. The AAR needs a defined event or time period to review.; An After Action Review is a structured debrief where a team reviews what just happened by comparing what was supposed to happen with what actually happened, then works out why there was a gap and what to do about it.; Also Known As AAR Post-Action Review When to Use It Immediately after a completed project, event, sprint, or initiative while the experience is still fresh; Space: A room where the team can sit facing each other, ideally in a circle or U-shape A wall or whiteboard visible to all participants for capturing notes Private space where the conversation will not be overheard by people outside the team. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from WorkshopBank; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including WorkshopBank.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.