Reflecting on a project when it’s fresh is the best way to improve the next one.
I just built a new cast bio input form…for next year’s musical. Why do the work now when the need is eleven months away, and I’m neck-deep in work for next week?
Simple. It’s fresh. At the moment, I know exactly what my frustrations are with the current form, and exactly how to fix them. Eleven months from now, I’ll have a nebulous memory, and probably fail to correct the problems efficiently.
I have the same feeling about project postmortems, which were a favorite part of the production process at one facility I worked in. Taking an hour to discuss what went well, and what could do better, immediately after a project is done is often the very best way to make sure the process next time reliably improves. With one project rolling into the next, it’s easy to neglect postmortems and reflection time, but I believe without a doubt that reflecting when it’s fresh is the best way to get better.