Q Learning After Doing An important “take away” of the project closure process is the lessons learned. An important question that is almost never asked is, “How generalizable are those lessons? Are they applicable to other projects, or would they only be useful if we had to do this one specific project over again?” One good example is the Challenger disaster. The shuttle was launched on a cold day; so cold that the sealant between the sections of the solid rocket boosters had lost its elasticity. Hot gases escaped, burning through the external fuel tank, and the vehicle exploded. The wrong lesson would be, “Do not launch a Space Shuttle in freezing weather.” How often does THAT happen? The right lesson would be, “Never forget priorities. Safety is paramount, and the technical experts are also the safety experts.” Reflect on a major project you have been involved in. It could be something personal, like building a house, or job-related, such as creating a new product, preparing for an acquisition, a divestiture, or (in the case of a military organization) a major inspection. What lessons did you learn? Were they broadly applicable, or only applicable to that specific type of project? Explain.