In the modern software developing workplace, where we choose to adopt Agile methodology, we strive to efficiently complete the tasks given to us. Through the act of completing tasks, we gain experience. However in order to turn that experience into improvement, we must dive into the Retrospective every time afterwards. Not only must we dive into the Retrospective, but we must dive in earnestly. I believe that the retrospective is where we grow the most. We learn the how and what to do as we are given projects and strive to complete them, but we learn how to do better during the retrospective process.
A retrospective is anytime your team reflects on the past to improve the future. There may not be too much time in between the busy workday, but it would be wise to set aside a good portion of time in order to make use of a good retrospective session. It doesn’t matter if the team is a technical team or a non-technical team, retrospective sessions are useful in nearly any field of cooperative work. The purpose of a retrospective session is to identify the mistakes, evaluate the past working cycle, and clearly define action items in order to improve. In order for the group to make full use of it, a retrospective should be treated as a safe space for people to share honest feedback , because it is an opportunity to focus on inspection and adaptation. Through a thorough inspection and a solid mindset towards adaptation, improvement is not only possible, but also inevitable.
In conclusion, the Retrospective remains a critical part of the Agile methodology. Performing retrospectives allows us to practice the “inspect and adapt” principle of Agile. The Retrospective improves team members’ mental health by allowing for communication. The act of sharing ideas and hearing ideas seems small, but its impact goes a long way in the workplace. In the end, as the people improve, then the workflow improves, and then the workplace improves, and then the projects improve, and then the future improves. I’d like to imagine that it all begins with the first retrospective we choose to take.