3 simple steps to learn from your experiences!

Have you ever finished a project and wondered what went wrong, or how you could have done better? Maybe you're looking to improve your team's performance and want to learn from past experiences. Well, I've got a simple but powerful technique that can help: GDD.

GDD stands for 'Good', 'Difficult', 'Different'. It's a targeted approach to asking questions that will get to the heart of what worked, what was challenging, and what was unique about a particular project or experience.

Good:

- What went particularly well during the project?

- Can you think of specific moments or actions that contributed to its success?

- Is there anything you'd do again in a similar situation?

Difficult:

- What was the most challenging aspect of the project for you?

- How did you handle that difficulty?

- What was hard and what could have made it easier?

(btw, it’s vital that this element is not turned into 'What went wrong?' to prevent blaming, finger-pointing, and instead remain solution-focused)

Different:

- What would you do differently, if you had the chance to do it again?

- What have you learnt that you can apply for future similar situations?

Summary

Using GDD is a great way to get a well-rounded understanding of what worked, what was challenging, and what was unique about a project or experience. It's a simple and powerful tool that can help you and your team continually improve and grow. I often use it in coaching conversations to debrief a client's experience, and I hope you can see how it can easily fit into your regular conversations. Good luck!