Retro(pers)pective

I do love a good retro. For those of you not lucky enough to be in a company that does these, I'm talking about those meetings held after the end of a project/sprint when you gather the team together and pick over the bones of what went well or badly. Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of these gatherings.

Keep it professional

Retros are great for getting something off your chest, but while any difficulties do need to be aired and discussed, bear in mind that you are likely to be working with these people again in the future - out and out criticism will not foster good relationships in the future.

Don't get personal

Whether it be the project manager from hell, the developer so lazy you're surprised they turned up to the meeting, or someone that couldn't design their way out of a paper bag, this is not the time or place for personal remarks. Stick to process and effect - how did the current way if working stop you doing your job and what would make it better.

Be prepared to have been wrong

You. Are. Not. Perfect. (Yes, I do mean you). While it's important to turn your critical eye on others, it's just as crucial to point some of that analysis toward yourself.

How could *you* have improved the situation?

I think this is biggest lesson I've learnt about retros; what may seem like an issue just for the developers is unlikely to be isolated to just that team. Maybe early testing would have highlighted the problem in time for it to be fixed. There are always things we could have done to help prevent issues occurring, now is the time to evaluate our own team's contribution and how it can be improved in the future.

Keep it brief

If you're using a post-it note based method, keep your points short; if it would look out of place as a slogan on a t-shirt, simplify or split into multiple items.

Accentuate the positive

All projects have sticky points, emphasising these will only demoralise. Even in the worst of projects focussing on the upsides is far more productive, even if it is just "well, despite all that we still managed to deliver".

No scapegoats

"It all went wrong after X left the company" is vacuous. If they weren't there, they can't have been doing anything; it's the people that remain and how they react to the absence that makes the difference.

Share the findings

In a recent retro, someone put down as a risk "ignoring the results of previous retros". A bit meta but a well made point - there's no point dissecting the past if we can't carry our learnings through to the future.

Lance the boil

Retros should be safe spaces; if you have something that's bothering you, get it out into the open and it will give others the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the way they acted. No two people think the same way; understanding other's motives and rationale may help you to help them.

My final advice is to smile as you talk so that the tone of the meeting is pleasant. But hopefully you do that anyway.