I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Ken Burrell about lessons learned. Ken has been deeply researching the “why,” “what,” and “how” of gathering and sharing project lessons. During our conversation, I shared an idea I call “Call3.” The premise of Call3 is simple: when project managers start new projects, they must call three people and have a 30-minute conversation about the project.
Why is Call3 better than reading lessons learned reports?
Lessons learned reports often become too sanitised, stripping them of real meaning. Project managers creating these “lessons” must get them signed off, and to secure approval from all parties, they typically gloss over, tone down, or exclude any contentious information. PMOs don’t always help in this regard. If they maintain a central repository for lessons, it often has format constraints or limits on the length of each entry. What could be a rich data repository often gets confined to a maximum of 255 characters per lesson.
Call3 provides a much richer experience. Project managers learn lessons directly from someone with real, relevant experience. They receive raw, honest insights – unsanitised and unrestricted by data limits in a spreadsheet cell. After these three Call3 interviews, project managers better understand the risks and pitfalls they may face and gain valuable advice to help drive delivery.
“Alright listen up! The guys you’re after are professional runners. They like speed and are guaranteed to go down the hardest possible way so make sure you’ve got your thunderwear on. Find ‘em, take ‘em as a team and bring ‘em back. And above all else don’t ever, ever let them get into cars.”
What role does the PMO play in Call3?
The PMO plays a critical role in making Call3 successful. Project managers benefit most from Call3 when they speak with the right people, and rather than focusing on gathering and filing lessons, the PMO taps into its network. Every well-connected PMO has a web of contacts that spans hierarchy and silos. This network allows the PMO to identify and nominate the three people best positioned to help the project manager start their project on the right foot. Acting as a knowledge broker, the PMO helps projects deliver the right outcomes faster.
Who should the project manager interview?
The PMO selects the three people, typically choosing from those who have delivered or contributed to similar projects in the past or who handled benefits realisation for similar projects. Potential interviewees might include:
- Programme or project managers who led similar projects previously
- System architects or software leads
- End users who have gone through similar change projects or understand stakeholder communications
- Support teams experienced in taking similar projects into live environments
- Account and supplier managers who managed upstream and downstream relationships
- Legal experts with experience in similar commercial agreements or with insights into the project’s regulatory environment
I’m sure you can think of more people to consider!
What about transient project teams?
Projects benefit most from Call3 when the original team members still work for the organisation or are on good terms to connect for a Call3 session. Encourage temporary resources and project teams to create a Call3 pack before or after they leave the project. Here, the PMO initiates the process, asking individuals to imagine it’s a year later, and they’re speaking with a new project manager starting a similar project. What would they say? What advice would they share? What experiences would they recount? To avoid a dry, sanitised presentation, think of the scene in Jaws where the characters compare scars; we want it unpolished to retain value, with all the emotion and passion intact. The PMO should avoid “cleaning up” the responses or seeking formal sign-off – raw advice is the goal.
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”
Ken Burrell has good advice about the format. He recommends delivering a personally-delivered presentation or video. I’ll leave it to him to tell you all about it in his excellent post on the subject over at the House of PMO site.
How do PMOs ensure the Call3 process is followed?
I doubt project managers would refuse the chance to learn through Call3. However, PMOs can make Call3 a required step in the stage-gate process, preventing any project from leaving the initiation phase without completing Call3. The PMO could confirm completion with formal signatures from interviewees, evidence of risks and assumptions added to logs, or, for those using PRINCE2, completion of the Lessons Learned section in the PID.
Building a collaborative culture through Call3
Beyond knowledge transfer, Call3 promotes a culture of collaboration and mutual respect within the organisation. By creating a routine for experienced team members to share their insights with new project managers, Call3 strengthens bonds across departments and encourages a more open, communicative work environment. These conversations help build trust, foster mentorship, and create a sense of shared purpose, where people at all levels understand their lived experiences and advice are valued. As more project managers adopt Call3, the organisation develops a collective memory that helps navigate future projects more effectively, reducing repeated mistakes and building on shared successes.
Have you applied Call3 in your organisation?
Incorporating Call3 into project initiation offers a fresh, practical approach to capturing lessons learned meaningfully. By shifting focus from rigid documentation to personal insights, the PMO enables project managers to gain real-world wisdom directly from those with relevant experience. This enriches the project manager’s understanding of potential challenges and best practices and fosters a culture of knowledge sharing that drives faster, more informed decision-making. Call3, supported by the PMO’s strategic role as a knowledge broker, creates a robust foundation for more resilient, successful projects across the organisation.
