How
often do you reflect upon how things are going and when you do, how often do
you really analyze how things are working and incorporate specific changes for
the future?
Retrospectives. If you don’t get honest, then what’s the point? Taking
the time to reflect throughout a project rather than waiting until the very end
allows the team to leverage this reflection to make ongoing improvements. Don’t
just go through the motions. Watch the dynamics of your team. Is everyone
involved and given an opportunity to contribute? Are you getting to the root of
the issues presented or staying on the surface level? Is action being taken?
When setting the stage for discussion, the environment needs to be safe.
Getting honest usually starts with someone being brave enough to mention the
nitty-gritty topics that others may be hesitant to bring up. Once you dig deep
into real topics, others will usually chime in or feel safe contributing
honestly as well. Go deeper than surface level discussion. Talk about how to really improve. Here are some ideas for facilitating effective
retrospectives.
Level the playing field - Techniques such as silent writing allow for
everyone to have a voice. Give everyone post-it notes and a marker and ask them
to individually write down their ideas on what went well and ideas for
improvement. Then have them put their ideas up on the wall and briefly discuss
each item and affinity group similar items together. This ensures everyone has
a voice as all ideas are acknowledged from each person. The team can then vote
on which items they would like to address first.
Keep the format fresh - Don’t do the same thing every time. The format
could get stale and participation levels or interest could drop. Introduce new
retrospective approaches and ask questions in different ways to get the team
thinking differently and actively engaged.
Follow up & check in - Don’t let the conversation end on the flip
chart or whiteboard. Identify specific actionable items and keep them in front
of the team throughout the next iteration. Check in and reflect upon how the
team did on their last retrospective action items. Carrying forward specific
items for the team to focus on is key for continuous improvement. Make these
items visible and pick one thing to focus on at a time.
Anyone on the team can make suggestions for improving retrospectives and keeping the format fresh. Find the real areas for improvement and keep the discussions valuable. Select one thing to improve and foster real change one step at a time.
