Remote team retrospective canvas

How to run an effective remote team retrospective

A retrospective is a look back. For teams, a retrospective is a regular event everyone meets to look back at the recent past and thereby improve future teamwork. It is a meeting where the team members reflect on processes, tools, skills, relationships, challenges and experiences. The feedback offers opportunities for the team as a whole as well as for each participant.

The goal is to improve teamwork and thus improve the overall process. Retrospectives are an essential part of a continuous improvement process. Retrospectives give space and an opportunity for open feedback within the team, to avoid frustration and eliminate misunderstandings.

I did my fair share of retrospectives. If done well, they will have a significant impact on the future performance of a team. Too often, they are done poorly, and it just becomes a waste of time for everyone involved.

I prefer to combine retrospectives with team reflections. A reflection helps to express thoughts, feelings and opinions about a shared experience. A reflection is one of the most robust tools I know to foster openness and trust in the team. This method will help you to draw out key learnings and insights to take forward to improve the future application.