Which makes the real question:
Why aren\u2019t they getting value out of their retrospectives? And is there anything anyone can do to get them their money\u2019s<\/s> time\u2019s worth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only time, when the \u201cmotivation\u201d question is admissable is if \nyou\u2019re trying something for the first time. You\u2019ve never done a retro \nbefore? Yes, then you\u2019re asking for a leap of faith from participants. \nAnd maybe the first one is wonky and you need a second one to make it \ncount. But that\u2019s it. From then on retros have to pay their own way \u2013 \njust like any other meeting should. If it\u2019s not creating value then why \nare you doing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Btw, the retrospective itself is usually not the problem. It\u2019s what happens afterwards. Which is often enough: nothing. It\u2019s unfair to tell people \u201ccome on, we\u2019ll look for improvements\u201d and then not implement a single improvement idea. The actual meeting is Step 1. Following up on the agreed upon action items is Step 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes this problem with Step 2 originates in the retro: The \nimprovement ideas are too vague to be actionable. Other times it\u2019s \noutside: There\u2019s not enough time or money to do anything. If \nretrospectives don\u2019t affect any change or these changes aren\u2019t \nbeneficial the majority of times, then yes, people don\u2019t want to do them\n anymore. And rightly so. They shouldn\u2019t. In these circumstances, retros\n are a waste of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ironically, I\u2019d use a retro to figure out what\u2019s going wrong and how to actually make them more valuable 😛<\/p>\n\n\n\n But only after I did my homework<\/a>. And I\u2019d try something new, not the same format that failed people before. Maybe this one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n … or “Retrospectives are only Step 1 (of 2)” \u201cHow can I motivate people to do retrospectives?\u201d is a question I used to hear frequently. If you ask me, that\u2019s the wrong question. It\u2019s wrong because you don\u2019t have to motivate people to do something that they perceive as valuable. Which makes the real question:Why … <\/p>\n![\"When](\"https:\/\/retromat.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/change-happens.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPS: Did you know there's a Retromat eBook Bundle? Ready-made retrospective plans for beginners and all activities from Retromat for experienced facilitators. Check out the Retromat books<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"