From the basic Private E-1 to the Commander in Chief, every plan (mission) gets two things…

A) The ‘Briefing’ which happens prior to the task lets every team member know the exact steps that need to be taken in order to accomplish the goal with every known variable included.

And

B) The ‘Debriefing’ which happens after the task and reviews the actual performance (including the known and unknown variables), then compares it to the expected actions given during the Briefing.

The advantage of the Briefing is how it brings each participant to the same page and gives them the known information needed to execute the assignment. As the team is dependent on one another, the effect of a single missed function can complicate the remaining effort exponentially.

It is the items that are missed that bring to light the significance of the Debriefing.

You’ve heard Good Decisions come from Experience…Experience comes from Bad Decisions.

The Debriefing serves as the vehicle to gain Experience.

In every meeting of opportunity there is a goal. Even the best strategy doesn’t know what it doesn’t know…some things are simply unknown.

The shifting nuances show themselves as reality unfolds.

It is the ability Experience gives that builds competence to anticipate and adapt to the changing environment.

Through the gift of Experience, better decisions are made and goals (missions) are completed with higher proficiency.

If you’ll allow yourself the time to Debrief, especially after the hardest of meetings, you’ll find the future benefit to be immeasurable.


EC