Hello, everyone, Natella here. On August 26th, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar for the PMI Norway Chapter titled "Retrospectives—Maximizing the Potential." I wanted to share some key takeaways while they're still fresh in my mind.

The Impact of Retrospectives

Our guest speaker, Natalia Melniciuc, shared some compelling statistics that really drove home the importance of retrospectives:

• Teams conducting regular retrospectives see a 20% increase in performance
• Quality improvements of up to 40% are observed in projects utilizing retrospectives

These numbers clearly show that taking the time to reflect and learn can significantly impact our project outcomes.

Key Lessons from the Webinar

1. Overcoming Retrospective Resistance

Natalia shared a personal story that resonated with me. Early in her career, she often prioritized immediate tasks over reflection. I think many of us can relate to this. It's a reminder that we need to view retrospectives as a crucial part of our project process, not just an optional extra.

2. Effective Retrospective Techniques

We discussed several methods for structuring productive retrospectives:

• Start-Stop-Continue: A straightforward approach for identifying actions to begin, cease, or maintain
• Mad-Sad-Glad: An emotion-based technique to gather diverse perspectives

These techniques can help keep our retrospectives engaging and insightful.

3. Fostering Team Engagement

Natalia emphasized the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts. For remote teams, she suggested keeping cameras on during retrospectives to enhance connection and presence. 

 

Moving Forward

This webinar reminded me that retrospectives are not just about looking back—they’re about driving future success. We can continually enhance our processes and outcomes by making them a regular practice.

In conclusion, if you haven’t yet made retrospectives a core part of your project management toolkit, now is the time. Let’s embrace this powerful practice to learn, grow, and deliver better results.

What’s your favorite retrospective technique? How do you keep your team engaged? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

By the way, we don't want you to miss out on the webinar! Therefore, here is the link to the recording and don't forget to claim your 1 PDU for Ways of Working.

Until next time, keep reflecting and improving!

 

Natella Ghazaryan

Events Director

PMI Norway Chapter