Planning: organizing and collecting feedback

What's special about feedback is that everyone talks about it, but very few people actually formalize it. It's not uncommon to hear project managers or project team members say that they'll have to think about doing an REX on the subject. But who is responsible? How should it be formalized? And what is the deliverable? Questions that often go unanswered.

There are two reasons for this. The first is that, for many, REX is about the past. This is a mistake, because it's precisely by capitalizing on the past that we can build the future with greater serenity, and save precious time on tomorrow's projects.

The second explanation is that, in an information society, to possess it is to possess power. The individual fears that, by capitalizing on his experience, he will lose his importance, or even his raison d'être, within the company. On the contrary, by sharing this experience as part of the REX process, the "knower" assumes the role of expert in the field, capable of taking a step back from achievements and drawing out the positive points and areas for improvement.