Retrospectives help Anyone

Yes! Even a Team of Movers

It is well known that reflecting on an experience, helps us be conscious of how it played out & what we can do to improve it the next time around. This applies to all experiences — a meeting, a workshop, or an event you planned.

In a team environment this type of a reflection is called a Retrospective. When done right, it can feel like a breath of fresh air giving you perspective, energy, and focus.

What about a team of movers? Do you think they would benefit from retrospectives?

I want to share a story of a recent experience from a move that put a smile on my face. I accidentally witnessed our team of movers hold a rhythmic practice throughout the span of our move. I wondered what the purpose of this practice was when I first witnessed it. It not only brought the team together & got them re-energized — it also helped them get to better outcomes.

As I sit to reflect on our move, this moment sticks out and it’s a story worth telling.

A Rhythmic Break

Moving day was here! 2 hours into our move, the leader of the moving team corralled everyone for a 15 min break. The leader had announced to us that it was part of how they worked. It left us a bit curious. Was this a physical break or something else?

The team swiftly gathered in a circle, got refreshments & started energetically talking and laughing. They were speaking Russian so we could not understand a word, but it looked like a team ritual of some sort.

Soon after the break, the movers switched roles of who was upstairs vs. downstairs & got back to the task at hand. This rhythm of breaks continued every 2 hours. It did not matter what the movers were in the middle of. They put away what they were working on and diligently took a break every time the leader called out to them. I also noticed that every time the team came back from a break they were focused & effective for the next block of time (in this case 2 hours).

These breaks had all the smells of a retrospective.

It made me pause to think about product development teams that struggle with holding retrospectives consistently.

Do all teams honor the practice of reflection in the same way as this team of movers? If they don’t, why? What could be missing?

Make it part of your System

To make reflection a practice, you must build it into your team system.

It needs to be part of how you work, stop & pause, and connect the dots before you move to the next cycle of time. It needs to be part of your Team DNA. For the team of movers this rhythm was 2 hours, but for a product development team that could mean a sprint or a 2-week cycle of time.

Every team starts with the best intentions of reflecting often. When they get busy with delivery, a retrospective is the first event that gets missed. Like any team, I am sure the movers felt the pressure of delivery. They were in the middle of packing something when it was time for the next break & it was probably not the most optimal time to stop. And yet they did step away and reflect.

It made me think about teams that often miss retrospectives when they are too busy. It is when we don’t have time to reflect that we need it the most.

Make it Meaningful

Maybe teams that are eager to miss retrospectives don’t find meaning in it. How did this team of movers find meaning in holding regular retrospectives through the day?

This led me to the next thought — once you have made reflection a part of your team system, you need to make it meaningful.

Here is how the moving team used their retrospectives:

1. Took a break: The team got a physical and mental break from what they were doing. The work they did was strenuous and physically taxing. Maybe mentally taxing depending on the tax. Taking a break helped them get back at it with fresh vigor.
2. Bonded with the team: During the break the team was having fun sharing stories and laughing. They were using this time to strengthen their bonds, get re-energized & feel the power of the collective.
3. Switched roles: After a couple of breaks, the team switched roles — of who was working upstairs/vs downstairs. Maybe there was a discussion of who needed help, since I caught the team helping each other on some difficult tasks right after the break before getting back to their individual areas of focus.

The moving team had used their retrospectives in a way to bring meaning to their work & also helped them get to better outcomes. When a practice has meaning, it has a higher chance of continuity.

Reflect on your Reflection

So, reflection is now part of your team system & you are making it meaningful. It is also important to ensure the team is getting to the right outcomes & not going through the motions. You need to reflect on how you are reflecting.

If a team is not using their retrospectives to have the right conversations & feel like it’s helping them become a better team, they will shy away having them over time. On the other hand, when our retrospectives are effective — a team will walk away energized & be ready to tackle anything that comes their way.

Retrospectives benefit anyone — individuals & teams. Find a rhythm that fits, hold it in a way that brings meaning to the team, and most of all reflect on how you’re reflecting to make the whole system better.

The habits we build have an influence on our journey. A habit of good reflective practices is generative for your team’s soul. How might you bring soul back to your team’s retrospectives?

Listen — Are you breathing just a little and calling it life? ~ Mary Oliver