Agree on targets
Capture your goals and key results. Explore risks and dependencies. Agree on targets as a team and support each other to accomplish the result.
Introduction
Context of integrative retrospective
In the article, “Use integrative retrospectives for continuous improvement” we identified that, if we are targeting continuous improvement, the game needs changing.
The parts of integrative retrospective are:
Agree targets
This article covers part 1 — Agree on targets. Its purpose is to create a yardstick for measuring success. Setting and agreeing on a target is optional within the retrospective. It is an internal agreement between team members. So we don’t have to be highly formal. It can be linked to an OKR process, but should not be linked to the performance measurement process. This would undermine its purpose.
The most popular cadences align agreeing on targets with other timelines:
- sprint cadence — often 1,2, 4 weeks
- planning cadence — 8 to 12 weeks
- OKR cadence — (monthly, or quarterly)
I.e. the cadence for setting targets may or may not be aligned to part 2 of retrospective — develop insights.
There are 3 cards in this “Agree target” part of the retrospective
- Set target results for each goal identifying risks and dependencies
- As a team, refine target key results with goals, risks and dependencies
- Approve agreement to the team target key results for sprint
Card 1.1 — Set target results for each goal identifying risks and dependencies
Description
This first card contains a list of questions that each member of the team receives. The member inputs their goals, key target results, related risks and dependencies.
Three events close this card, then editing is stopped. The data from each participant can be viewed in the next card in a table or a series of record sets. The events that lead to close are:
- All team members (participants) mark their cards as done.
- The facilitator/lead sets a deadline for completion and a deadline is passed.
- The button “move forward” is clicked by the facilitator or lead.
Instructions offered participants on open
These instructions can be edited by the facilitator or lead. Here is a long form of the default instructions provided.
Note: This data is private to you, the team. Please treat this data as privileged and confidential. Agree as a team on what gets communicated from your output.
The output from this process is the team agreeing to meet a specific set of targets. The initial input starts with your individual goals, targets, risks and dependencies. These are grouped as one dataset at the team level.
The “ask” of each participant, lead and facilitator is to have conversations about targets in context. Assumptions are challenged. Other participants actively play the devil’s advocate. The objective is to build clarity of understanding. Clarity of how results contribute to goals. Understanding of how risks and dependencies potentially impact results. This may drive a scaling up or down of targets. These discussions make the team more effective together.
What these conversations are not about is setting up a metric to measure success or failure. It is about how the team can best deliver value for the product, customer, and/or stakeholders. The 4-part retrospective is a tool to support you and your team as you achieve this outcome.
Context for data collected
Goals are memorable, qualitative, and motivational. Generally set goals that are longer-term. i.e. beyond a single sprint. You can have a mix of personal, team, sprint or organizational goals.
Key target results are specific and measurable. Where possible, focus beyond outputs to outcomes. If you have more than one goal or key result, create many records. i.e. a data set that has one goal, one or more key results related to that goal, a list of risks and dependencies that you are managing.
Identifying risks and dependencies to your key result is about asking questions. Using your experience. Think of the reasons you’ve been delayed before. Why will these not happen this time?
Identifying dependencies to your key result. This is about walking through your delivery steps. Where are you dependent on others?
Question set
The question set is defaulted by the designer of the interplay. They can be edited, added to or replaced by the facilitator or lead prior to the start of the card.
The defaulted questions are:
- Header
1) personal notes — this is one rich text field for your notes — this is not shared with the team and is totally private to you.
- Body questions
You can create multiple datasets of the goals, targets, risks and dependencies. The questions are:
1) Goal targeted with your key result
2) Key Result (against this goal for this sprint)
3) Is this a stretch target key result?
4) Risks (that could constrain your delivery of the key result)
5) Dependencies (for you to meet your result)
Instructions offered participants on close of this card
These instructions can be edited by the facilitator or lead.
Thanks for setting your target key results for the period. The next step is to review these together as a team. And agree together that these targets can be met within the timeframe setout.
Card 1.2 — As a team, refine target key results with goals, risks and dependencies
In this step, teams discuss each participant’s goals, target key results, risks and dependences. In this way, the team aligns its planned activity with the delivery of target results. And together they agree on what becomes collective targets.
Today the facilitator or lead has the right to edit all records as they facilitate the conversation. The team can choose (via the facilitator or lead) whether to show or hide names. Participants can view the data everyone has submitted and can view any updates (via a refresh). (note: we are working on so participants and leads will have to edit their own records as part of the conversation.)
Instructions offered participants on open
The facilitator or lead will structure the session. Any team member can be delegated this responsibility at the start of the interplay. (The ability to pass this responsibility between the team during an interplay more flexibly is a feature we will be working on soon).
The work in this card is generally done in a meeting. The team discusses and debates each goal & key result, risk and dependency. They challenge the assumptions behind what is provided. Each person should feel comfortable that each target is feasible, probably a stretch and not a walk-in-the-park. Through this interaction, updates can be made.
By agreeing on a set of target key results, the team commits to each other, i.e., each person takes responsibility to support the others to achieve the results. To make this commitment feel real, the lead or facilitator should encourage each person to challenge each other. This is important especially when faced with potentially unrealistic or underwhelming targets. Members can take turns in playing devil’s advocate. And can use this role to ask clarifying questions to help build understanding from clarity.
Facilitators or leads can run different exercises to get the team debating and thinking:
- Identify additional risks and dependencies and debate why these won’t impact the targeted key result. Discuss as one group, or split into pairs.
- Prioritize the results, and ask if we x2 or more the result, how could we achieve it.
- Identify and discuss the riskiest target results, determine how as a team you can support the team completing that work.
This work is in preparation for the next step to agree or disagree with the plan. It is an agreement to achieve these target key results and manage together related risks and dependencies.
Question set
The data from the first card is presented and can be edited as part of the facilitated conversation.
Your records can be viewed in edit mode. All records can be viewed in Table or group format. They can be present with the author’s names shown or it can be hidden. Each participant can add new ideas when working in edit mode.
The facilitator or lead can answer the header questions. This can also be used to capture the team discussion. A team can decide to leave the original inputs as-is and just answer the header questions. Or both. Or just update the original inputs.
The header questions are a list of facilitator discussion notes on a series of topics. These are:
- Target key results and stretch key results
- Goals
- Risks
- Dependencies
- Team’s commitment to these results.
Instructions offered participants on close
Participants in the next step confirm their verbal agreement/disagreement for the statements documented in this card 1.2.
Card 1.3 Approve agreement to team target key results for sprint
In this activity, each member of the team approves the team agreement of target results. Each participant provides their agreement or disagreement with a comment. This is done anonymously
Instructions offered participants on open
Confirm your agreement or disagreement. Add your comment. Take time to reflect. What does this team agreement mean to you? Use words to qualify your perspective on the plan.
It is good for the team when you make comments. Whether they support or don’t support the agreement.
If you’re not comfortable stating your thoughts to the team in the meeting. Here is an opportunity to anonymously make comments. Everyone benefits from understanding your challenges. Only by working through these challenges can the team be more effective. Always aim to share your perspective in the conversation prior to moving to the agreement card.
Let’s aim to be open. Have discussions. Be brave and courageous.
Agreement Process
The data from the prior card is non-editable. The header and body questions can be output by the facilitator or lead. It is present in the tool for viewing.
Instructions offered participants on close
Congratulations. As a team you have agreed on what you target for this period. Aim to stay present with these targets. Support each other to achieve them. If there is a need to understand comments, it is suggested that you use the “Wait 24 hours” rule and then have the discussion.
Call to action
Facilitation is a critical skill used by leaders to build alignment. At Neutral Advocate, we offer a facilitation platform — Janars. Sign up for a free 32-day trial at community.janars.com.
We offer an integrative retrospective that helps you drive continuous improvement. We’ve identified a 3 step plan:
- Start: Select an effective team and use stage 2 — develop insights and stage 3 — build action plans
- With success: Add stage 1 — agree targets to make stage 2 target driven. And add stage 4 — align with an agreement to remove constraints from stage 3 — action plans.
- Expand with Stages 1,2 & 3 to more agile teams. And engage connected teams to build agreements. Teams like product owners, customers, executives.
We propose some immediate steps. They’re listed on the integrative retrospective page on www.neutraladvocate.com.
- Learn about integrative retrospectives by watching a video letter (not available yet).
- Book in for a conversation
- Attend a free workshop (not available yet)
- Signup for a free trial of our facilitation tools at community.janars.com
