Why Retrospectives are My Favorite Meetings to Do with Teams
My all-time favorite Agile meeting is the Retrospective. Back in 2012, I learned the role of a Scrum Master. I loved that role for so many reasons. As a Scrum Master, you get to make sure everyone understands what is expected of them. You get to ask all the dumb questions! You get to document things and provide clarity. People really appreciate what a Scrum Master provides them, so it was a really fulfilling role for me.
I loved digging in and learning how to facilitate all the meetings that come along with the Agile - Scrum approach. The Retrospective meeting is where I really felt like I got to tap into my creativity and innovation. It’s where I got to slow down and really think about what my team needed to help them succeed.
The Retrospective Meeting is where I got to slow my team down and create the space for them to think for a minute, and ask the question, “If we could do this better, if we could make our LIVES better, what would we do?”
Who doesn’t want to make their life better?!
If someone is super frustrated about something or something isn’t working, they’re not just bringing it up once or twice. They’re talking about it at the water cooler with one colleague, out at lunch with another colleague, and then with loved ones at home. Rinse and repeat; rinse and repeat. Spin and spin and spin.
Think about how much time and energy is being used on inefficiencies simply because no one took the time to say, “Well, how can we change this thing? How can we do better?” If we could just create the space to talk about what isn’t working and decide together as a group that it’s important enough to improve upon, powerful change can happen.
Just the other day I was talking with a client about morale and how many folks don’t understand how impactful morale is to achieve our goals. Retrospectives are a morale booster!
I love Retrospective Meetings the most because leading them truly makes me feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives. This is the meeting that gives teams the space to dream, to smile, to cast a vision for improvement. This is the meeting where we can ask ourselves, “What’s not working,” but we don’t just leave it at that.
RETROSPECTIVE MEETINGS CREATE THE SPACE™ FOR PEOPLE.
Truly if I could just go around facilitating retrospectives for your team or your company (yes, you! All of you!) to make sure that you had them, I WOULD! And not just a one and done. But following up consistently to check in and make sure everyone is staying committed to the things they said were important. And then, week after week, as things shift and change, having an honest conversation about what is important NOW. Asking, “What do we need to do NOW,” and continuing to evolve as the conversation evolves.
Why? We’re never done! Life is not over until we’re dead. So, there is always room for improvement along the way.
But since I can’t lead Retrospectives each week for every team across the world, I encourage you to try it out for yourself! Take what you’ve learned about Agile meetings, especially Retrospectives, and see how they can fit into your work culture. You don’t need to use all the Agile methods to use this tool. Create the space™ for your people and watch powerful change occur!
Master Agile Meetings for Stronger Teams!
Great retrospectives are just one piece of the puzzle—want to level up all your Agile meetings? Our Key Agile Meetings course gives you the tools to facilitate effective standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and more. Learn how to keep meetings focused, productive, and engaging so your team can work smarter, not harder.
👉 Ready to optimize your Agile meetings? Check out the course here!