Robert A. Swanwick recently reported on a storytelling framework that works well for gaining knowledge while evaluating projects. He learned of the framework from a presentation by Nancy Dixon, who in turn, learned of it from Lt Col Karuna Ramanathan.

With 2009 ending in a few days, it occurred to me that individuals could apply this technique to constructing stories about the past year with an eye toward learning from the year’s experiences.

Here’s the framework, called the 2-5-1 framework, along with my adaptations for applying it to it a personal year-end review:

• 2
  • Who you are
  • Summary of your year’s experience

• 5 fingers
  • Little finger – what aspects of your life did not get enough attention?
  • Ring finger – What relationships did you form? What did you learn about relationship building?
  • Middle finger – what did you dislike? What/who frustrated you?
  • Pointer finger – what would you do better next time around? What do you want to tell those who influenced your actions in the last year about what they could do better?
  • Thumb (up) – what went well. What was good?

• 1 – the most important takeaway from the year