AARs
By Pudge
By Pudge
No, we aren’t going to talk about Mack’s feelings today.
Sorry buddy. But what we are going to talk about today is AARs. What is an AAR
and why should you be doing them? AAR stands for After Action Review. It is a
thorough review that is normally used by us in the military following an
operation. I believe they should be conducted for everything you are trying to
get better at. My very first post talked about mindset and asking myself, “what
did I do to be a warrior today?” They can be that simple. Asking that question
to yourself on the drive home and reviewing your day. They can also be as
complex as discussing the intricacies of a raid that your team just conducted.
A detailed AAR should cover everything you did from start to finish, both good
and bad.
Conducting a
post raid AAR. Notice the notes in my hand to keep me on track.
Different units conduct their AARs to varying degrees. My
Team takes pride in the way we conduct our AARs. That is a piece of the puzzle
that helps separate us from other units. It is extremely important during this
time to have thick skin. We never rag on anybody but do our best to provide
constructive feedback for every member of my Team, myself included. I’ve found
it is best to choose one person to run it. That person controls the AAR. They
follow an agenda so that every part is covered and nothing left out. Start
discussing what you are reviewing from the beginning with others providing
input where necessary. It doesn’t matter if you are the senior guy on the team
or the junior guy who showed up yesterday, your input is valuable. It is
important during AARs that everyone is provided the ability to share their
thoughts and opinions. We hold them after every training event or operation so
that the next one is better.
Not quite an AAR but a Before Action Review (BAR) can
also be very helpful. These are not as in depth but can be a quick refresher
prior to planning to make sure you cover every part of the plan meticulously.
They are also very beneficial for those instructors out there to use at the
start of class to gather students’ expectations of what they hope to gain from
the class they are about to begin. This will greatly help you focus or adjust
your training style. (Remember those square pegs in round holes we’ve discussed
here before?)
Nothing mind blowing here. We all discuss and think about
things that have happened. This is just another way to frame it and learn from
it. Now go get talking!
Hey Pudge;
ReplyDeleteWe did them when I was in the service, what went right, what went wring, what went really right, what went pear shaped, who got lucky and who got the "wherearethefuckarewe" awards. It serves a purpose if used constructively. I have seen officer types(Sorry, not sorry guys) go really personal with them rather than constructive, and the person being castigated in public in front of their peers and subordinates (Leadership 101) didn't get it because he was furious and lost face in front of his troops. I have seen it used to great effectiveness as a teaching aid. As a recent example my scoutmaster of my troop, who is a retired officer type uses an AAR after every scout event as a teaching tool for the scouts and it works very well, it gives structure so the kids can plan the next event better. And Pudge Take it easy on Mack, with all the Glocks sold recently, he has nothing to fondle at work so he walks around and mutters "My Precious".
Mr. Garabaldi,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. If done right it can make you so much better. However, if done incorrectly can definitely have drastic impacts in the wrong direction. I always try to cater the delivery of my points based on who will be receiving them so that they take away the learning points versus just getting mad. I was wondering why Mack has been disheveled lately! It all makes sense now!
But I want to talk about my feelings. And I want to take a nap. And I want a pony. Which I may able to afford after this end of the world thing blows over.
ReplyDeleteAs a serious aside, good AARs are important. Something I always did was have the junior most guy start. So that say he won't feel inhibited if his thought contradicts the one of the guy with the bars on his helmet.