The Power of After Action Reviews: How to Continuously Improve Your Organization
Most teams rush from one project to the next like they’re in a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.
Something goes well? Great. Onto the next thing.
Something goes wrong? Cross your fingers it doesn’t happen again.
The problem? Without pausing to reflect, mistakes get recycled, wins fade into the background, and growth hits a ceiling.
Some teams assume improvement just happens over time, like aging cheese. Others only course-correct when something blows up.
The best organizations? They don’t leave progress to luck. They build structured reflection into their workflow. That’s where After Action Reviews (AARs) come in.
AARs are a simple but powerful way to analyze performance, extract real lessons, and fine-tune how your team operates. In this article, we’ll break down how to run an effective AAR, so every project, success or disaster, becomes fuel for improvement.
1. Define the Scope
Clarity is everything. An AAR without a clear scope is just a group of people sitting around swapping opinions. It’s a great way to waste time, but not a great way to improve.
If you want reflection to actually lead to progress, you need to define exactly what you’re evaluating before you start.
AARs typically fall into three categories:
A Single Event – Think of a big client pitch, a product launch, an industry conference, or a high-stakes internal meeting. These AARs help fine-tune execution, highlight strengths, and troubleshoot weaknesses in situations you’ll likely face again.
A Full Project Lifecycle – Maybe it’s a months-long marketing campaign, a full client engagement from onboarding to offboarding, or even an internal initiative like a hiring process. These AARs give you a bigger-picture perspective, helping you spot inefficiencies and refine long-term strategies.
A Routine Reflection – A quarterly sales review, a monthly content strategy check-in, or an annual team retrospective. These prevent small issues from snowballing and ensure you’re always improving, rather than waiting for a crisis to force change.
A well-defined scope keeps discussions focused, actionable, and free from the dreaded "Let’s solve everything in one meeting" trap.
AARs aren’t meant to be open-ended therapy sessions. They’re about pulling out the insights that actually move the needle.
2. Capture Key Details
Before you dive into what went right or wrong, start with the facts. An AAR built on vague memories and gut feelings is basically just a brainstorming session in disguise, and that’s not what we’re here for.
To keep the conversation grounded in reality, document the essentials upfront:
Event Name – What are you reviewing? A client onboarding? A product launch? A high-stakes sales pitch? Name it clearly so everyone’s on the same page.
Date – When did it happen? Timing matters, especially when you’re comparing similar events down the road.
Timeline of Key Milestones – What were the big moments? Think crucial decisions, handoffs, roadblocks, or breakthroughs that shaped the outcome.
Laying out a structured timeline gives your team a reference point. It helps connect the dots between actions and results while keeping the discussion fact-based. Nothing derails an AAR faster than a heated debate over what actually happened.
AARs should clarify reality, not rewrite history. Get the facts straight first, and you’ll avoid turning the session into a game of who remembers it best?
3. Identify "Sustains" (What Went Well?)
If something worked, don’t let it slip into the void. Too often, teams hyper-focus on what didn’t work, leaving the wins uncelebrated and undocumented. And guess what happens when you don’t capture success? You accidentally stop doing the very things that made you successful in the first place.
AARs aren’t just about fixing problems but about locking in what works. Ask:
What contributed to positive outcomes? Pinpoint the actions, decisions, or systems that led to success.
What strategies, behaviors, or processes worked? Go beyond luck—figure out what was intentional and repeatable.
What should we continue doing? If it worked once, it can probably work again. Reinforce it.
For example, say a client onboarding process went smoothly. The “sustains” might include:
✔ A structured onboarding checklist that kept everything on track.
✔ Regular Slack updates that ensured seamless communication.
✔ Pre-onboarding materials that set clear expectations for the client.
When teams fail to document what works, they risk unknowingly abandoning their best practices. But when you capture and reinforce these wins, you create a playbook for future success, turning good results into consistent results.
4. Identify "Improves" (What Needs to Change?)
Growth doesn’t happen just because you notice a problem. It happens when you fix it.
Complaints don’t drive progress; clear, structured improvements do. That’s why every “improve” needs to answer four key questions:
What is the problem? Be specific. Vague frustrations lead to vague solutions (or worse, no solutions at all).
How will we fix it? Outline a clear plan, even if the details evolve later.
Who is responsible? Assign one person. Shared ownership often leads to no ownership.
By when? Set a deadline. Otherwise, this will get buried under “more urgent” things.
For example, let’s say a project ran over its deadline:
Problem: The onboarding process delayed project kickoff.
Solution: Automate intake forms to speed up client setup.
Owner: Sarah (Operations Lead).
Deadline: March 10.
Improvements only happen when they’re specific, assigned, and time-bound. An issue without ownership is just a gripe. A task without a deadline is just a wish.
5. Recognize the "Hero of the Battle"
AARs can get heavy. When the focus is on fixing problems, they can start to feel like a never-ending critique session. That’s why it’s essential to end on a high note by recognizing someone who made a meaningful impact.
Call out the people who went above and beyond. Not just for the sake of morale (though that’s a nice bonus) but because reinforcing great behavior ensures you see more of it.
Who should you recognize?
Someone who stepped up and solved a major problem under pressure.
A team member who went beyond their role to make things run smoothly.
A leader who kept the team aligned and focused.
Acknowledgment isn’t just about making people feel good. It’s about creating a culture where effort, innovation, and leadership don’t go unnoticed.
When people know their contributions matter, they’re more likely to bring that same energy to the next project.
So, before you wrap up your AAR, take a moment to highlight your “Hero of the Battle.” Because improvement isn’t just about fixing issues, it’s also about celebrating what’s already working.
6. Make AARs a Habit, Not a One-Time Fix
AARs aren’t just for damage control. They’re not a “break glass in case of failure” kind of thing.
The best teams don’t just learn when things go wrong. They build reflection into their workflow so that every experience, win or loss, fuels future success.
So, when should you run an AAR?
After losing a client (so you don’t repeat the mistake).
After signing a major client (so you can double down on what worked).
After launching a campaign or completing a project (because there’s always room to refine).
At the end of a quarter or fiscal year (to spot trends and course-correct early).
Even after a normal workweek (because small adjustments compound over time).
If you treat AARs as a one-off exercise, you’ll get occasional insights. But if you make them a habit? You create a culture where constant improvement isn’t just something you talk about. It’s something your team actually does.
Final Takeaway
If your team isn’t running After Action Reviews, you’re missing one of the simplest, most effective ways to drive continuous improvement.
AARs aren’t about dwelling on mistakes. They’re about reinforcing what works, refining what doesn’t, and turning every project into a learning opportunity.
Start small. Pick a recent project, follow this framework, and turn those insights into action. Want to take it even further? Join the Dynamic Agency Community to connect with other growth-minded leaders, share best practices, and build a culture of continuous learning.
Improvement starts with reflection. Don’t wait for the next big challenge to start leveling up.
