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WorkshopAny teamRetrospectives

After action review

40 minutes 6 blocksFree Free template

The four AAR questions on a live board: what was planned, what happened, why they differed, and what to sustain and improve, with no names on the notes.

Use this template See inside

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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Planned
What was supposed to happen?
Happened
What actually happened, in order
Why
Why the difference? Causes, not culprits
Sustain
What should we keep doing?
Improve
What should we do differently?

In short

An after action review (AAR) is a short, structured debrief that asks what was supposed to happen, what actually happened, why there was a difference and what to sustain or improve. This template puts the questions on a live board everyone answers from their phone and runs a 40-minute agenda that ends with owned actions.
Time
40 minutes
People
3 to 30
Board
5 columns, 3 dots each
Plan
Free

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

The agenda

By the end of this meeting, we know why the result differed from the plan and have agreed what to sustain and what to improve, with owners.

40 min · 6 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Ground rules: no rank, no blame, here to learn, 3 minutes 3
  2. The four questions, 12 minutesBrainstorm 12
  3. Why was there a difference?, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  4. Dot-vote what to sustain and improve, 4 minutes 4
  5. Two sustains, two improves, with owners, 8 minutesDecide 8
  6. Read back and close, 3 minutes 3
010203040 min
  1. +0′Ground rules: no rank, no blame, here to learnTip: In an AAR everyone's view counts the same, whatever their role. Names don't show on the board's notes.3 minInfo
  2. +3′The four questionsTip: Planned and happened first (facts only), then why. Sustain and improve last. If the event was long, build 'what happened' as a short timeline.12 minBrainstorm
  3. +15′Why was there a difference?Tip: Compare planned with happened point by point. The useful learning is in the gaps, including the ones that went better than planned.10 minDiscuss
  4. +25′Dot-vote what to sustain and improveTip: Three dots each across the sustain and improve columns.4 minDiscuss
  5. +29′Two sustains, two improves, with ownersTip: Keep the list short enough to act on before the next event.8 minDecide
  6. +37′Read back and close3 minWrap-up

How to run it

  1. 1Hold it soon after the event, with everyone who took part. Open with the ground rules: no rank and no blame.
  2. 2Collect answers to the four questions from phones, facts first.
  3. 3Spend the most time on why plan and reality differed, then dot-vote what to sustain and improve.
  4. 4Leave with two sustains and two improves, each owned. The summary is the start of your written after action report.

Questions people ask

What is an after action review?
A debrief method developed by the US Army and now used widely. The team compares what was planned with what happened, learns why they differed and agrees what to sustain and improve.
What are the four questions of an after action review?
What was supposed to happen? What actually happened? Why was there a difference? What can we do better, and what should we keep doing?
What's the difference between an after action review and an after action report?
The review is the conversation. The report is the written record that comes out of it, with findings and an improvement plan.
How do you conduct an after action review?
Hold it soon after the event, set no-blame ground rules, answer the four questions with facts first, then agree a few owned actions.

Run it with your group

Free
  • Ideas land on the board from every phone, then dot-vote
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
Use this template

Free to use and to run live. No card needed.

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