Skip to content
ENRU
All exercises
LearnExecuteMedium

After Action Review

Compare expected and actual results, explain the difference and change the next cycle.

45–90 min5–12

Purpose

Create a short, evidence-based learning loop without blame or vague lessons.

Output: AAR record with retained practice, changed rule, owner and next test

Materials

  • Expected outcome
  • Actual evidence
  • Timeline
  • AAR record

Preparation

  • Bring the intended result, plan and actual outcome.
  • Separate personnel, legal or incident-investigation processes.

Facilitation steps

1

Expected

8 min

State the intended outcome and what was supposed to happen.

2

Actual

12 min

Build a shared evidence-based account without interpretation.

3

Explain

15 min

Identify mechanisms behind important differences and successful exceptions.

4

Retain and change

12 min

Choose one practice to retain and one rule to change.

5

Next attempt

8 min

Assign owner, evidence and review point for the change.

Observe

  • Are facts and explanations separated?
  • Does status suppress observations?
  • Is the next change specific?

Debrief

  • What will be visibly different next time?
  • What practice should we protect?
  • How will we know the change helped?

Transfer to work

Publish the change before the next cycle and inspect whether it was used.

The learning loop closes only when a specific change reaches the next attempt and can be inspected afterward.

Failure modes

  • The session becomes blame or emotional reporting.
  • Actions have no changed rule, owner or evidence.

Accessibility

  • Collect written observations before speech.
  • Use neutral, non-punitive language and a clear safety escalation route.