#Mural sailboat retrospective how to#

What makes What So What Now What a bit different is that each item has its own story that flows through each of the three categories.

You can use this framework to make sense of work done, a project that was delivered, or any feedback received. The structure is built around an event (“what”), the implications of that event (“so what”), as well as next steps (“now what”). This exercise was created for a learning environment, but it’s also great for teams. Good for: creating action items specifically tied to issues that were identified I’ve found that people find it easier to think about what already exists – both the good (“continue”) and the bad (“stop”), before venturing into uncharted territory (“start”). One modification I often make is to reorder the steps, so “start” is at the end. I love the simplicity of Start Stop Continue. We used this template as the basis for the 400-person retrospective we ran at our 2020 virtual offsite (see the flock of buzzing cursors above for a peek into what such a massive feedback exercise can feel like – mad energy!). Start Stop Continue is a very action-oriented retro framework that helps teams determine what past actions are worth stopping or continuing, and what new ideas are worth giving a try. Good for: identifying specific actions to take, looking both backward and forwards Check out some recommendations, based on what’s worked for different teams and situations at Miro. That said, we all have our preferences and favorites. Otherwise, teams start going through the motions – even with good facilitation,” advises Vanessa Sequeira. “As a facilitator, I like to start with something really simple and keep doing the same one for a while so the team gets comfortable with it and doesn’t have to spend the mental energy learning a new format.”Īt the same time, teams that run frequent retros might get fatigued and need a new approach. “The framework you choose is whatever gets a good result from the team,” explains Pete Lim, Agile Coach at Miro. How do you know which one to go with? It turns out that the answer is “it depends,” and what you get out of it largely depends on what you put into it.

#Mural sailboat retrospective how to#

(This quarter, it’s introducing remote-friendly social hours for team bonding and inviting senior leaders to AMAs for visibility into company priorities.) I am now a retro believer! How to choose a retrospective templateįor something so straightforward, it can sometimes feel like there is a dizzying array of different retros to choose from. My team runs them every quarter, and at the end we always choose two or three focus areas with specific action items and owners. The experience is positive, energizing, and insightful.

It empowers teams to inspect and adapt to the way they work rather than the work itself,” says Vanessa Sequeira, head of people design at Miro. “In my opinion, the retrospective is the most important Agile ceremony – and it’s often the one that most teams skip. Sarah is passionate about positive collaboration, team-building, and content.Īnd in practice, one of the ways we commit to always learning and getting better is by running retrospectives: on the team level, the company level, and on specific projects. The company’s philosophy of continuous improvement is displayed in our core value of “Create a better version of ourselves every day.” I used to dismiss them as irrelevant for non-engineering teams, or as a twin of the post-mortem (which typically only takes place when something goes wrong, and too often involves feelings of regret and blame).īut my attitude changed immediately when I started taking part in retros at Miro.

I never thought I’d be such a huge fan of team retrospectives.