Retrospektiivit

Retrospektiivit, often shortened to retros, are meetings held at the end of a project or a period of work to reflect on what went well, what could have gone better, and what actions can be taken to improve future performance. The primary goal of a retrospective is continuous improvement, fostering a learning environment within a team or organization.

The process typically involves a facilitator who guides the team through several phases. These often include setting the stage to establish a safe and open environment, gathering data about the past period, generating insights into the root causes of successes and challenges, deciding what actions to take, and closing the meeting. Common techniques used within retrospectives include "Start, Stop, Continue," "What Went Well, What Didn't Go Well, What to Improve," and "Mad, Sad, Glad."

Retrospectives are a core practice in agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, where they are held at the end of each sprint. However, the concept is applicable to any team or project, regardless of methodology. The outcomes of a retrospective are usually actionable items that the team commits to implementing in the next iteration. This focus on actionable improvements distinguishes retrospectives from simple post-mortems, which may be more focused on analysis and less on immediate change. Effective retrospectives encourage open communication, trust, and a commitment to learning from experiences.