Debriefing the Year

At the threshold of a new year, it's a great time to step back, take stock of what we accomplished and learned, and see what we want to change. Instead of rushing headlong into the next year and learning nothing, for decades now my clients and I have used ten systematic but simple debrief questions that hold the power of genuine renewal. 

Sometimes at the end of a year, it is tempting to just be relieved that it's over, that we came through relatively unscathed, and to come up with some New Year's resolutions that are meant sincerely but soon forgotten.

But that is a missed opportunity. Without debriefing the year, you run the risk of having to keep reinventing the wheel—that is, of not applying in the next year what you learned in the last one. 

Debriefing any project is a skill and practice as important as the project itself, and essential for personal and organizational learning. 

The word debrief derives from the fields of diplomacy, the military, and space aviation. Webster’s defines it as “to interrogate (a soldier, astronaut, diplomat, etc.) on return from a mission in order to assess the conduct and results of the mission.” 

It is important that you do not move on until the current year is complete, and the year is not complete until you have debriefed it.

Debriefing should be a bit more sophisticated than in this video from the "Breaking Bad" series, but it's not rocket science:

In my own debrief, I look at all my projects, clients, and statistics. I go back over the past year's calendar, week by week, to let the year pass by like a movie. Then I answer these questions:

1. What did you accomplish vis-à-vis your annual objectives? What else did you accomplish? And what is the meaning of these accomplishments for your/your organization’s mission?

2. What was not accomplished?

3. What worked? What were the key success factors?

4. What did not work?

5. What did you learn?

6. What leaders emerged, and how could you empower them now?

7. What opportunities emerged, and how could you capitalize on them?

8. What unfinished business needs to be finished?

9. Who needs to be acknowledged and for what?

10. Given your answers to questions 1-9, what’'s next? What are your priorities for the coming year?

When I am done with the debrief process, I have revealed the leverage points for the next year. I know what I want and what I don't want and where to invest myself. Not least, I come away with profound gratitude for my life, my work and my relationships. 

I invite you to try it. It works. 

Wishing you and yours meaningful holidays and a happy New Year. May the New Year bring you even closer to your dreams.

What do you say? What are your best practices for completing the year and creating the next one? I look forward to reading you on my blog: http://thomaszweifel.blogspot.com/.

Dr. Thomas D. Zweifel is a strategy & performance expert and coach for leaders of Global 1000 companies. His book Leadership in 100 Days: A Systematic Self-Coaching Workbook offers one leadership tool per day in self-awareness, relationship, vision, strategy and action.