Learn and improve
Notes
Structured feedback after each run
Structured feedback after each run of work on what to keep and what to change, so each cycle improves on the last.
Borrowed from Theater, where directors give actors notes after each rehearsal.
Ongoing habit · An hour or more to set up · Anyone on the team can start it
Try this first
After the next cycle, spend a few minutes on what we keep and what we change.
Use it when
There's no structured refinement between iterations.
Skip it when
It suits iterative work with a next time. For a one-off the full session matters less, though the lessons may still travel.
How to introduce it
After each run or cycle, hold a short structured feedback session on what worked, what did not, and what changes next time. Theater and film directors give notes after each performance to sharpen the next one. It makes the improvement between iterations deliberate instead of accidental.
How to show up
Keep the session specific and constructive. Concrete changes, not impressions. About the work, not the person. Keep it forward-looking rather than relitigating what happened.
How long it takes
A few minutes to an hour after a run, depending on the work.
What makes it hard
Notes drift into vague praise or personal criticism, so keep them specific and on the work. And they only count if the changes reach the next run, so close that loop rather than stacking up notes nobody uses.
What it looks like when it's working
Each cycle improves on the last because specific changes get named and carried forward. The same issues recurring means nobody is acting on the notes.
How long until it sticks
Expect a few cycles before structured notes reliably drive improvement.
How you know it stuck
The team takes notes after each cycle and carries the changes into the next.
The idea behind it
Every cycle is a chance to improve, and only if someone extracts what to change. Notes are how a team improves on purpose.
Where it comes from
Stage management. A standing post-run notes ritual. After a run, the director gives structured "notes" to refine the next one.
Evidence
No reference link has been found for this move yet.