Retrospectives
Inspect and adapt—celebrate wins, fix systemic issues.
Explanation
Originally from Agile software development, retrospectives are regular team meetings focused on learning and improvement. Without this structured reflection time, teams tend to repeat the same mistakes and miss opportunities to get better. The key is focusing on processes and systems rather than blaming individuals, which requires psychological safety.
Real-World Example
After project: What went well? (Ship on time, great teamwork). What didn't? (Unclear requirements, late nights). Why? (No customer input, poor estimation). Actions: Customer in sprint planning, buffer estimates 20%. Next project: 50% fewer issues.
How to Apply
Every 2 weeks or after milestones. Same format: Set stage (5 min), gather data (10 min), generate insights (20 min), decide actions (10 min), close (5 min). Rotate facilitator. Track actions—did we do them? Did they help? No phones. End positive. Make changes small—1-3 per retro.