Who the F*ck is Michael?!: An Israeli Air Force Chief's Uncompromising Code for Achieving Greatness

by Elyezer Shkedy

I thought about it and came to the conclusion that it was time to carry out a debriefing in three stages: 1. What happened? 2. Why did it happen? 3. What to do differently? The first stage: What happened? You put a “virtual mirror” in front of your face and tell yourself boldly, sharply, and clearly, without cutting corners and without bullshitting yourself, what really happened. You mustn’t sugarcoat the picture so it’s easier for you to digest. The second stage: Why did it happen? You analyze yourself to understand why those things happened. What did you observe? How did you respond? What did you do? How did you do it? In other words, what could have led to the results you see in the “virtual mirror.” The third stage: What should be done differently the next time and what should be retained? If you only go through the first and second stages, it’s as if you didn’t debrief at all. In such a situation, not only will you have not learned anything, but you may be left with a sense of frustration and self-flagellation. Only once you reach the third stage, in which you decide and define for yourself what you ought to do differently next time and what you should keep, have you completed the debriefing process.