How

How do I hold an online retrospective

Prepare the retrospective in your team by identifying which method you would like to use this time. Take into consideration how the team “feels” at the moment, whether this is the time to introduce new methods or sticking to the known method. If you would like to try something new, then find the relevant template here amongst the retrospectives, or create your own.

Facilitator

From time to time, change who will be running the retrospective. Ask a team member or ask for a volunteer. This will work best for methods that the team feels confident using. A different facilitator might focus on other important points from the team and might facilitate different from you, so you might learn too.

Suggestion for an agenda:

• Set the stage
  • You could start with an ice breaker to get the team to focus on the retrospective and not todays work.
  • Repeat the prime objection of holding the retrospective. You can find inspiration on the Why page.
  • Make sure the retrospective is considered a safe environment. Find a meeting room, don’t use the team room. Don’t invite visitors, or ask the team if this is ok.
  • You can also bring facts to the retrospective and present this to the team before starting. This could include a history of the teams velocity, timeline of events, decisions etc.
  • Before starting the retrospective, it might be a good idea to present the result from last retrospective, to remind the team about previous agreements.
• Gather data
  • Nominate one person who will be sharing their screen while taking notes.
  • Use the template collect data from the team members.
  • Remember to make room for innovation and new ideas. It’s ok if the retrospective goes “wild”.
  • Remember to make sure everyone is heard, also the “quiet” team members. Give the team time to formulate and give the input. It might be a good idea to allow the team 30 seconds silence before finishing. Often you will receive new and really feedback after 20 seconds!
• Generate insight
  • Go through the data collected and discuss it. Make sure each point is understood by the team.
  • Maybe you need to group the data to get a better overview.
• Define actions
  • Should anything be done about the points collected? Who and what? We would like not to see same points again at next retrospective.
  • Make sure the team have time to work with the actions, otherwise we cannot gain from it.
• Closing the retrospective
  • Hold a mini-retrospective or evaluation over the retrospective.
  • Investigate if the time was well spent (ROI – return of time invested).
  • Ask for one word describing the retrospective

Follow-up on actions

The team should take action on the points identified in the retrospective. Over time, not all actions will have focus in the team. In my team, we have often discussed this and we agree that “the process is more important than the result”. If something is really important, the team will make sure it just “happens”. Alone bringing up a subject for discussion will many times be enough for it not to be a problem anymore.

Electronical tools

For an online retrospective, you must also prepare a way for all team members to contribute electronically. This can be done in many ways.

You can use a collaborative real-time editor such as Microsoft Sharepoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Whitebaord, Google Docs, Jamboard, Miro, Skype, Mural or Lucidspark, or any other collaboration tool you may use. I you wish to have guides for any of these tools, then please let us know and we will write a guide, or gladly publish your guide.

Good luck

Good luck with holding your online retrospective. Please contact us if you have any suggestions for this site.

Katrine and Jakob