Create the conditions for agility, accountability and continuous improvement

The After Action Review (AAR) and complete Action Review Cycle (ARC)

In practice, the term “After Action Review” is somewhat misleading since the methodology encompasses the entire span of before, during and after action. The After Action Review meeting (AAR), is typically the most visible part of a cycle that encompasses planning, preparation, execution and review. From its origin over 25 years ago at the U.S. Army's National Training Center, the Army honed it as a principal method for leaders at any level to bring their teams to high levels of effectiveness in the face of extremely challenging environments.

As every organization has its own culture (and differs from that of the Army), adaptations are necessary. Signet has adapted and streamlined the method, now called the "Action Review Cycle" (ARC), so that it is effective in civilian settings. The great strength of an ARC discipline is that it is simple, focused, scaleable, and can be used in any situation where there is a recurring work process or challenge.

In outline form, ARC consists of establishing “leader’s intent” (task, purpose and end-state) before the action. A Before Action Review (BAR) efficiently verifies alignment on key tasks, anticipates challenges, and creates a learning stance. After the action (or periodically throughout it), an AAR meeting explores the gap between intended and actual results in order to identify causes and commit to a few key “sustains” and “improves” for the next cycle of action. It fuels learning and accountability by testing planning assumptions and execution against actual results.

...it's startling how little of the army's integrated approach to learning has carried over to the business world. Perhaps as the army's experience becomes more visible, the benefits of an integrated approach will be clearer, and more organizations will begin to follow this example.

How Signet became the leading expert on the AAR cycle

In the late 90's, Signet researchers extensively investigated the 20 year evolution of the method and compared it to early attempts to replicate it in civilian environments. We published a detailed study of the evolution of the AAR, "From Post Mortem to Living Practice." The key finding: Most early adopters(1980 - 2000) fell far short of the impact and value potentially available. Why? They focused entirely on the AAR meeting, treating it as a "best practice". They missed seeing the pivotal role that key leader behaviors play. More importantly, they missed the fact that it is in fact a cycle.

In a Harvard Business Review issue on The High Performance Organization, we described our exciting discoveries about the AAR practices of the U.S. Army’s OPFOR. (The Opposing Force is what Army units must face in battle at the Army's National Training Center). HBR’s Executive Editor described the OPFOR as very likely “the world’s premiere learning organization”. You can purchase a copy of this HBR article, Learning In The Thick Of It on the HBR site, or see their executive summary. We also provide a number of related publications on this site for further reading.

As Marilyn Darling and Charles Parry show, the crucial difference lies in the synergy between culture and method.

Though most organizations recognize the ever-increasing pervasiveness of change, relatively few have grasped the opportunity available in fully embracing change. The OPFOR is an organization that made this leap and, in the crucible of literally thousands of battles, worked out the implications in how they lead, learn and execute. This organization built a capacity to create and sustain competitive advantage in the face of rapidly changing conditions. The result is two decades of a truly amazing track record of OPFOR humbling world-class competitors who would love nothing better than to decisively crush them.

ARC's success in the corporate world

Signet has succeeded in distilling and formalizing the essential elements and sequences neccesary to efficiently apply this cycle in civilian settings—validated by working with a broad range of organizations apply ARC to business mandates. For example:

• Build an executive team’s capacity in mergers and acquisitions
• Improve budget and schedule performance on large projects
• Raise the bar in operations against key performance metrics
• Streamline costly and complex processes such as maintenance outages
• Getting Lessons Learned to stick
• Prepare effective emergency response to likely scenarios
• Create conditions that unleash workforce buy-in to continuous improvement

While many have written about the AAR, no other authors uncovered the dynamics of the process as have Marilyn Darling and Charles Parry. Those of us who see the value of the AAR will well appreciate their contribution to the field of learning.

One example of Signet's work in translation and streamlining is the Before Action Review, or BAR. To provide a practical discipline that bridges some of the Army’s somewhat complex or military-specific methods that fill out their AAR cycle over to the time-limited business context, Signet developed the Before Action Review. The BAR builds the habit of briefly pausing to synchronize intent and plan before going into action. Together, the BAR and AAR then “bookend” action, assureing clarity, alignment, accountability and learning. This in turn sets in motion an upward spiraling of effectiveness.

In situations calling for building greater adaptability and resiliency into a complex operation, we show teams how to use a version of the Army’s habit of conducting walkthrough rehearsals as part of due diligence. “Rehearsals” and BAR's, unlike traditional closed-door scenario planning sessions, are close to the action and immediately help build a strong “line of sight” — and thereby ownership for results.

Signet can help you build an AAR culture

Signet's depth of understanding and practical experience has consistently proven valuable in helping leaders address their unique business situation and simultaneously build learning practices that take root in their culture.

Signet provides a package of assessment, training and leader support to help organizations use the Action Review Cycle to create the conditions for agility, accountability and continuous improvement. Please see our fact sheet for more information about how we transfer the skills of the ARC. Let us know if you'd like to discuss the possibilities for your organization with a Signet partner.

For senior executives, it is sometimes possible to Signet to host short intensive immersion experiences at elite Army sites, so that they can see first hand how the Army’s AAR discipline transforms the effectiveness of ordinary people into an extraordinary force, what it looks like when leadership, learning and execution are completely integrated, and to explore how they can translate some of these practices into their own organization.