Team Retrospective

Step 0 - Why We’re Here

We are doing this retrospective to intentionally reflect on our recent work, extract meaningful learnings, and identify concrete ways to do better next time. The goal is improvement - not blame.

Step 1 - Be Kind

Be kind, respectful, and empathetic - to one another and to yourself 🙂. Everyone here did the best job they could with the information, skills, and constraints they had at the time.

The Prime Directive (Norm Kerth)
“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand.”

Step 2 - Add Reflections

Go to the board (digital or physical) and add reflections to all lanes. Capture observations, feelings, facts, and ideas - quantity over quality at this stage.

Step 3 - Group & De‑duplicate

As a group, cluster related items together and remove duplicates. Aim for shared understanding and clear themes.

Step 4 - Vote

Vote as a group on the themes or items that matter most. Focus on what will create the biggest positive impact.

Step 5 - Discuss Top Items

Discuss the top N voted items. Time‑box each topic (e.g. 5 minutes). If time runs out, vote as a group whether to continue or move on - majority decides.

Step 6 - Capture Learnings & Actions

Capture key learnings and define clear action items. Each action should have an owner and a tracking method to ensure follow‑through.

Action Items