Debriefing and evaluation: essential for professional contract work
A good debriefing takes time – but skipping it can ultimately create much more work for you. By communicating clearly and actively evaluating, you will work more efficiently and professionally.
Why a debriefing?
An assignment can only be carried out successfully if both parties have the same expectations. By providing feedback to the client on your interpretation of the assignment, you prevent misunderstandings and increase the chance of a good end result. For example, describe:
- Briefly who you are and what your role is;
- How you assess the client's current situation;
- What the desired result is – in your own words;
- Your approach to achieving that result;
- The potential risks you foresee based on your professional expertise.
Make sure this is clearly recorded, for example in a reusable document. Not only is this professional, it is also valuable for your evaluation afterwards.
Evaluating: how do you go about it?
Announce at the start of the assignment that you will be evaluating it at the end. This strengthens the collaboration and shows that you take quality seriously. An evaluation does not have to take long. Use a fixed format and keep it practical:
- Ask the client for three strengths and three areas for improvement;
- Gauge how they experienced the price-quality ratio;
- Reflect on the content and collaboration yourself.
Divide your evaluation into content results and working methods. This will help you to make targeted improvements and informed choices for future assignments. It also increases the chance of a follow-up assignment.
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