Running a Retrospective That Actually Moves the Needle
Nailing your retro that makes your team high-five and ready to conquer the next challenge.
Your project wrapped. The dust has settled. Now comes the real unlock: the retrospective.
It's not just a group therapy session or something where you go through the motions. It’s your launchpad for change - what to keep, what to fix, what to try next, and who’s on the hook. Here are my four key parts of a retro - no warm-ups and no fluff. Just structure that drives insight and action.
1. What Went Well
Start on a high note - but make it count. This isn’t a vibe check. You’re here to pinpoint the systems, behaviours, and decisions that created real value.
Your Goal: Surface replicable wins and spark appreciation. Not just outcomes, but what drove them.
Pro Tips:
Be specific. “Teamwork” doesn’t cut it—call out what made it work.
Let the quieter folks go first sometimes. Rotate voices.
If leadership showed up and added value—say it.
This section is your chance to throw complements like confetti. Use to relax everyone into engaging in the retro. Keep the energy up.
Questions to Ask:
What are we proud of that we’d want to do again?
Which habits, tools, or calls paid off?
Who made it easier—and how?
2. What Could Be Improved
Now shift gears. No blame games. This is about systems, not scapegoats. You’re looking for friction, missed chances, and recurring headaches.
Your Goal: Identify patterns, not one-offs.
Pro Tips:
Say “what made this hard?” instead of “what went wrong?”
Thank people for calling out improvement opportunities. Use this moment to normalise naming gaps.
If everyone’s dodging real talk, offer a safe example to start. Prior planning on where the conversation needs to go will help to stimulate shy stakeholders.
If you sense politics may be stifling engagement, calling some stakeholders afterwards to check-in on any ‘additional thoughts’ they’ve had since the retro may surface new perspectives.
Questions to Ask:
Where did things slow down?
What kept getting in our way?
If we could redo one thing, what would it be?
3. Ideas
Here’s where momentum builds. You’ve seen what worked and what didn’t—now invite forward thinking. This is your opportunity to shift from passive reflection to active shaping.
Your Goal: Get sharp input on smarter ways forward.
Pro Tips:
Set some rules, like:
Encouraging moonshots and incremental wins. All ideas welcome.
Let people build off each other - no “one idea per person” rules.
This isn’t the Actions section, let them raise ideas without feeling committing to them.
Reflect if any of these ideas tie back to earlier pain points.
Questions to Ask:
What’s one idea that would make the next version smoother?
What process or tool should we try next time?
What approach could we borrow from other team or company?
4. Actions
Retros don’t make change unless it ends with ownership and focus. You’ve just diverged, and now it’s time to converge into what actually changes. Clarity here is non-negotiable.
Your Goal: Turn insights into assignments. No orphans for the most promising pieces of feedback.
Pro Tips:
This is easy if the team is strategic or understands the culture of the organisation deeply. If you’re otherwise sceptical of suggested actions, ask others to explain how actions solve the most challenging problems.
Use a prioritisation tool, like dot voting, to help focus the team.
Assign owners—real names, not “the team.”
Book a check-in to follow up (yes, really).
Questions to Ask:
What’s the smallest action with the biggest upside?
If we could only do one or two things from each of the last two sections, what would it be?
Who’s taking the lead on it?
Making the Whole Retro Count: Tips That Actually Stick
Here’s how you make the entire retro not just useful—but a force multiplier for change.
1. Keep the energy up.
Don’t let silence take hold. Stick to the ‘six-second popcorn’ rule: if no ideas ‘pop’ for 6 seconds, the popcorn is done and you should move on.
Add visuals or stories where you can.
Celebrate without cheesiness.
Use jokes, even if they’re bad. I like to introduce the template by saying something throwaway; ‘like all good TV chefs, here is one I prepared earlier’.
2. Layer in strategic levers.
If this was a pilot or a technology you want to roll out elsewhere, use the ‘What Could be Improved’ + ‘Ideas’ sections to reduce barriers to change. Ask:
“What would make this easier to adopt?”
“What would it take for this to stick?”
“Who needs to be in the loop for this to happen again in all of our sites?”
3. Secure adoption early.
If a new solution comes up that shows promise, get decision-makers looped in or referenced immediately. Say, “Who could greenlight this?” or “How do we pilot without needing a full rollout?”. Leverage the Retro as a company engagement, spring boarding it higher-up in the food chain faster than usual.
4. Close the loop.
Retros aren’t one-and-done. Show traction on action items, and thank the team again for their input. People engage more when they see ideas become reality, and even more so if they view themselves as ‘owners’ of the new ideas.
5. Make it a reputation builder.
Frame the retro as a leadership tool: it’s how you show up, listen, drive alignment, and build trust. It’s not admin—it’s influence. If your organisational culture is to write memos, call out the Retro participants names as people engaged. The more diverse stakeholders across the business, the more influential.