Projects are messy. A beautifully planned and detailed project can get derailed by human error, changing client needs, and other unexpected roadblocks. Teams can feel exhausted as they reach the finish line, while still feeling proud of their accomplishments.
Once a project reaches completion, gather everyone involved for a retrospective meeting. This is an open discussion where employees can evaluate existing workflows and propose solutions to improve them. It is an opportunity for reflection and planning so the same errors aren’t made when the next project comes down the pipeline.
When conducted effectively, a retrospective is worth the time and effort. However, take the necessary steps to get the most from these meetings and keep the discussions focused. Here’s how to lead a successful retrospective meeting.
Develop Discussion Questions Ahead of Time
The first step in your meeting planning is identifying key questions you want answered. An open discussion can derail as people bring up tangential points or get stuck on specific topics. This retrospective works like any other meeting – you need an agenda to keep people on track.
Share a Poll Everywhere Q&A Activity before your meeting to organize everyone’s thoughts and lead the discussion. This will give your team time to provide insightful questions that can start a discussion. You can also ask your team to review the pre-submitted questions and prepare answers. That way your staff isn’t hearing the feedback for the first time.
The Q&A Activity also creates a safe space for introverted employees to share their thoughts live during a meeting. Some of the best ideas might come from workers who don’t feel confident sharing their ideas with executives.
Conduct Surveys to Gauge How Everyone Feels
Running a successful retrospective meeting can be tough, especially when only a few voices dominate the conversation. It's common for more outspoken team members to unintentionally talk over quieter colleagues, leaving those who are less confrontational or shy without the opportunity to contribute. This problem becomes even more challenging as the group grows, making it harder to ensure that everyone is heard.
Poll Everywhere’s Survey Activity is an easy solution to this. With the option to allow participants to submit responses anonymously, it guarantees equal participation from the whole team. For example, if the project did not meet expectations, gather candor feedback from your employees and identify areas of improvement for the next project.
When everyone’s voice is valued, it fosters a more inclusive company culture. Employees feel empowered, and decisions are more widely supported—ultimately leading to process changes that stick.
End With Actionable Insights
Every retrospective meeting should conclude with a clear set of action items for your team and leadership to implement. These steps can then be applied to upcoming projects and revisited in future meetings to evaluate their effectiveness.
Retrospectives aren’t about venting frustrations—they’re about improving processes. While team members may have concerns, the goal is to turn those into constructive feedback that helps streamline workflows. For every challenge raised, work through actionable solutions that address the root cause and prevent similar issues in the future. Here’s an example of how to reframe feedback:
- Unproductive: “Clients are difficult to work with.”
- Productive: “My turnaround times are too short. I need more notice to complete tasks.”
By focusing on the second type of feedback, your team can explore solutions like extending project timelines or improving communication on upcoming tasks. These solutions can then be assessed in the next retrospective to measure their impact.
Share The Information With Senior Leadership
Your project workflows should be transparent to your leadership team. After each retrospective, share key takeaways with your manager and executives. Highlight improvements that will streamline processes and address challenges that require leadership’s support.
For instance, if your team feels project timelines are too short and are affecting quality, you can request more realistic deadlines. If the sales department promises a project can be completed in three months, suggest extending that to four or even six months to ensure higher quality results.
Back up your recommendations with data collected through Poll Everywhere. Present a clear, evidence-based case using comments, survey results, and other feedback. By combining both quantitative and qualitative insights, you can make a compelling argument for necessary changes.
Consider Bringing in an Objective Moderator
Another tip for making your retrospective meeting equitable and safe is to bring in an objective party to moderate the discussion. This could be a professional moderator or someone outside your team who feels comfortable leading this discussion.
Some people feel unsafe speaking up when management is in the room. They may worry about retaliation, especially if they find their boss at fault during a project. A moderator is a safer person to talk to, allowing for open, honest answers.
Moderators can also ensure your team sticks to the agenda and works through the entire list of questions. They can strike a balance between making people feel heard and staying on-topic.
Conduct Retrospective Meetings Regularly With Poll Everywhere
It’s perfectly normal if your first retrospective feels a bit disorganized or if employees aren’t sure how to participate. Like any part of your process, retrospectives are opportunities to refine and improve. You can schedule these meetings after key projects or hold them regularly—such as quarterly—so your team becomes more comfortable with them. Over time, employees will arrive with actionable insights ready to share.
Be sure to celebrate the wins that come from these discussions. If small adjustments lead to big improvements, recognize their impact and highlight how these ideas originated in the retrospective. This not only reinforces the value of these meetings but also encourages continued participation.
And don’t forget to bring Poll Everywhere with you. Whether you’re gathering open-ended feedback or conducting a quick poll, digital tools make it easy to collect and analyze data in real-time. You can share these insights with leadership and track progress across projects. Try Poll Everywhere today to see how it can streamline your workflows and help build a more inclusive, engaging workplace.
