After-Action Review—structured debrief asking what was expected, what happened, why the difference, and what next. Use after projects, launches, presentations, or any significant event.
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---
name: aar
description: After-Action Review—structured debrief asking what was expected, what happened, why the difference, and what next. Use after projects, launches, presentations, or any significant event.
user-invocable: true
---
# After-Action Review
Conduct a structured debrief to extract learning from any significant event or experience.
## Instructions
Work through the four core questions honestly and specifically. Focus on events and systems, not blaming individuals.
### Output Format
**Event**: What are we reviewing?
**Date**: When did it happen?
**Participants**: Who was involved?
---
## 1. What Was Expected?
*Before the event, what did we think would happen?*
**Goals/Objectives**
- [What were we trying to achieve?]
**Plan**
- [What was the plan to achieve it?]
**Success Criteria**
- [How would we know if we succeeded?]
**Assumptions**
- [What did we assume would be true?]
---
## 2. What Actually Happened?
*Facts only—what occurred, not why*
**Timeline**
| Time | Event |
|------|-------|
| [When] | [What happened] |
**Outcomes**
- [What results did we get?]
**Compared to Expected**
| Expected | Actual | Gap |
|----------|--------|-----|
| [expectation] | [reality] | [+/-] |
---
## 3. Why the Difference?
*Analysis of the gap between expected and actual*
**What Went Well** (sustain these)
| Success | Contributing Factors |
|---------|---------------------|
| [what worked] | [why it worked] |
**What Didn't Go Well** (improve these)
| Problem | Root Cause |
|---------|-----------|
| [what failed] | [why it failed] |
**Surprises**
- [Things we didn't anticipate]
---
## 4. What Do We Do Next?
*Specific actions to sustain or improve*
**Sustain** (keep doing these)
| Action | Owner | How to Protect It |
|--------|-------|-------------------|
| [what to continue] | [who] | [mechanism] |
**Improve** (change these)
| Action | Owner | By When |
|--------|-------|---------|
| [what to change] | [who] | [deadline] |
---
**Key Takeaways**
Top 3 lessons from this review:
1. [Lesson]
2. [Lesson]
3. [Lesson]
**Follow-up**
When will we check if improvements are working?
## Guidelines
- Do this soon—memory fades fast
- Be specific: "Communication failed" → "We didn't update Slack until hour 3"
- Balance: Include what went well, not just problems
- Assign owners: Insights without ownership become forgotten
- Make it safe: Blame shuts down honesty
$ARGUMENTS
