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How to make retrospectives meaningful and memorable
Read the full transcript of the video below
In general, a retrospective is a review or examination of past events or experiences, intending to reflect on what went well, what didn't, and what could be improved. In this video I will discuss what a retrospective is, what it is used for, the benefits it provides, questions included in the retrospective, how to plan it, how to execute it, and how to hold people accountable to ensure the information is used.
Hello, my name is Paula Bell, also known as “The BA Martial Artist”, as I leverage martial arts concepts to help others achieve their personal and professional results. I also have over 20 years of experience leading multi-millionaire dollar projects where I have had the pleasure of conducting lessons learned, or another more common term “Retrospectives.”
Retrospectives are beneficial for:
1. Continuous improvement
2. Team Building
3. Learning from Experience
4. Alignment and buy-in from stakeholders
5. Accountability
But before we get to that let’s take a step back and talk about the term “retrospective”.
The term "retrospective" has been in use for a long time, dating back to at least the 17th century. It comes from the Latin word "retrospectus," which means "looking back." As a martial artist retrospectives are conducted frequently for continuous improvement and refinement of executing the skill to effectively protect ourselves. Which can literally be life or death. So this term is one I am quite familiar with and have grown to love due to the outcome of growth.
Now in the context of software development, the term "retrospective" became popular with the Agile methodology, specifically Scrum, which emphasizes regular reflection and continuous improvement. The Agile Manifesto, which was published in 2001, emphasizes the importance of "reflecting on how to become more effective" and "tuning and adjusting behavior."
The term "retrospective" is now commonly used in Agile software development as a way to describe the regular meetings held by the development team. The purpose of the retrospective is to identify what worked well, what didn't, and what changes could be made to improve future performance. The retrospective is typically attended by the development team, including the product owner, Scrum Master, and any other relevant stakeholders.
But, retrospectives are also commonly used in various contexts, such as in project management, team building, and personal growth.
Here are some ways it can be used for your personal development.
Self-reflection: Retrospectives can help you reflect on your performance and identify areas for improvement. This can include reflecting on successes, challenges, and missed opportunities.
Goal setting: By reflecting on past experiences, you can set goals for future development. For example, you may identify a skill you want to develop or a habit you want to change.
Accountability: Retrospectives can help you hold yourself accountable for your development. By reflecting on your performance and setting goals, you can take ownership of your growth and progress.
Learning from mistakes: Retrospectives can help you learn from your mistakes and failures. By reflecting on what went wrong and why, you can identify ways to improve and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Celebrating successes: Retrospectives can also be used to celebrate personal successes and accomplishments. This can help you build confidence and motivation for future growth.
By using retrospectives for personal development, you can gain valuable insights into your performance and growth, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for future development. The idea is to gather feedback, learn from the past, and identify opportunities for future improvement. This can lead to increased self-awareness, accountability, and motivation to achieve personal and professional success.
So as you can see, retrospectives are beneficial for several reasons, including:
Continuous improvement: Retrospectives provide a way for teams to reflect on their performance and identify areas for improvement. By regularly reviewing their processes and discussing what worked well and what didn't, teams can make iterative improvements to their workflows and become more efficient over time.
Team building: Retrospectives provide an opportunity for team members to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe and non-judgmental environment. By encouraging open and honest communication, teams can build trust and strengthen their relationships, leading to better collaboration and teamwork.
Learning from experience: Retrospectives help teams learn from their experiences and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. By discussing what went wrong and why, teams can develop a deeper understanding of the root causes of problems and develop strategies for preventing them from recurring.
Alignment and buy-in: Retrospectives can help ensure that everyone on the team is aligned around the same goals and values. By discussing what is working well and what needs improvement, team members can develop a shared understanding of the team's priorities and objectives.
Accountability: Retrospectives help teams hold themselves accountable for their performance. By regularly reviewing their progress and setting goals for the future, teams can ensure that they are on track to achieve their objectives and meet their commitments.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Now, the specific questions addressed in retrospectives can vary depending on the team's goals and objectives, as well as the particular methodology being used. However, here are some common questions that are often addressed in retrospectives:
What went well during the last sprint/iteration/project?
What didn't go well during the last sprint/iteration/project?
What obstacles or challenges did we face, and how did we overcome them?
What could we have done differently to improve our performance?
What did we learn during the last sprint/iteration/project?
What actions can we take to improve our processes and performance in the future?
How can we better align our work with our team's goals and objectives?
How can we improve communication and collaboration within the team?
What changes should we make to our workflows or processes to be more effective?
What commitments do we need to make for the next sprint/iteration/project?
By addressing these and other questions during retrospectives, teams can gain valuable insights into their performance, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments to their workflows and processes to achieve better outcomes.
PREPARING FOR A RETROSPECTIVE
Now conducting a retrospective can be nerve-racking for some. But they don’t have to be. The goal is to “Get Better, Faster”. Here are some tips on how to prepare for a retrospective:
Set a clear goal and agenda: Before the retrospective, identify the specific goal you want to achieve and create an agenda that outlines the topics you want to cover.
You can leverage our agenda template to help outline your agenda.
Create a safe and supportive environment: Encourage open and honest communication by creating a safe and supportive environment. Make sure everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment or criticism.
Focus on specific examples and data: Use specific examples and data to support your feedback and recommendations. This will help ensure that the discussion remains grounded in reality and is not based on assumptions or opinions.
Use a variety of retrospective techniques: Many different techniques can be used during retrospectives, such as the "What Went Well/What Didn't Go Well" method or the "Start/Stop/Continue" method. Experiment with different techniques to find the ones that work best for your team.
Follow up on action items: At the end of the retrospective, identify specific action items and assign responsibilities for follow-up. Make sure to review progress on these action items at the next retrospective.
Keep it regular: Hold retrospectives regularly, such as at the end of each sprint or project, to ensure that you are continually reflecting on your performance and making iterative improvements.
EXECUTING A RETROSPECTIVE
Now that you have planned for the retrospective it’s now time to execute and here are some tips for executing a successful retrospective:
Set the stage: Start the retrospective by setting the stage and explaining the purpose and goals of the meeting. Make sure everyone understands what the retrospective is about and what they are expected to contribute.
Create a positive atmosphere: Encourage open and honest communication by creating a positive and non-judgmental atmosphere. Make sure everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of criticism or negative feedback.
Focus on specific examples and data: Use specific examples and data to support your feedback and recommendations. This will help ensure that the discussion remains grounded in reality and is not based on assumptions or opinions.
Facilitate the discussion: As the facilitator, your role is to guide the discussion and ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. Use active listening skills to show that you are engaged and interested in what everyone has to say.
Encourage constructive feedback: Encourage constructive feedback by asking team members to identify specific actions that can be taken to improve performance. Avoid criticism or negative feedback that is not accompanied by specific recommendations.
Capture the results: Capture the results of the retrospective by taking notes or using a tool such as a whiteboard or online collaboration tool. Make sure to record any action items and follow-up responsibilities.
Follow up on action items: After the retrospective, follow up on any action items and make sure that progress is being made. Use the results of the retrospective to make meaningful changes to your team's workflows and processes.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Now that you have completed the retrospective it’s important that the information captured is used. How many times have you been a part of a retrospective and nothing happened with it? If you haven’t I am happy for you, but that unfortunately has not been my experience.
Here are some tips to hold individuals accountable to use the learnings from the retrospective:
Assign responsibilities: After the retrospective, assign specific responsibilities for implementing the action items that were identified. Make sure that each team member knows what they are responsible for and by when.
Set clear expectations: Communicate the expectations for using the learnings from the retrospective. Explain why it's important to implement the action items and what the benefits will be.
Follow up regularly: Schedule follow-up meetings or check-ins to track progress on the action items. Make sure that everyone is held accountable for their responsibilities and that progress is being made.
Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate successes when progress is made on implementing the action items. This will help to reinforce the importance of using the learnings from the retrospective and encourage continued effort.
Make it a team effort: Encourage teamwork and collaboration in implementing the action items. Encourage team members to support each other and to share their progress and challenges with the group.
Lead by example: As the leader or facilitator, lead by example in using the learnings from the retrospective. Model the behavior you want to see in your team and hold yourself accountable for implementing the action items.
By following these tips, you can help to hold individuals accountable for using the learnings from the retrospective and ensure that your team is continually learning, improving, and making meaningful changes to their workflows and processes.
CONCLUSION
Overall, retrospectives are a powerful tool for promoting continuous improvement, building strong teams, and achieving better outcomes. They are beneficial in project management, team building, and personal growth. So leverage them and use them for growth.
Until next time,
The BA Martial Artist is signing off! 🥋🥷🏽
P.S. If you have found this information beneficial please subscribe to my YouTube channel (The BA Martial Artist) to receive alerts on when new content is posted. In addition, check out additional posts on my website at www. paulaabell.com. That is "2 a's in the middle).
P.P.S. Also. please take a moment to leave a comment on what are tips you leverage to prepare and conduct retrospectives. I would love to hear from you and gain some gems from you as well.
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