Retrospective Facilitator Gathering

Ellen Gottesdiener, Rachel Davies, Ainsley Nies, III, Gerhardt Akerman, Maury Myllyaho

The group defined a Project Chartering exercise that leads a team through creating three different “Futurespectives”: one for self, one for a sub-group, and finally one for the entire group. Individuals write-up their own futurespective. They then gather in sub-groups to create a common futurespective. These results are then gathered and grouped for the entire group, resulting in an entire group futurespective. Finally, each person takes their signed individual futurespective, creates a paper airplane, and when prompted, sails their airplane into the air. Each person then picks up an airplane that is not their own. They find the owner and make a commitment with the owner to support them in an agreed upon way to help them realize their future.

When to Use: as part of a Chartering/Kick-off activity

Other names for “Charter”: startup, visioning, kick-off, contracting, stmt of work, pre-spective

Desired Outcomes: • Shared expectations of affects • How do we measure of success • Common sense of boundary • Subliminal process which makes it a self-fulfilling prophesy (emotional and deeper thinking) • Unity around guiding values or principles • Creative ideas

Timing: before you do planning in a chartering /kick-off workshop

Process Steps:

1. Activity: imagine getting an “A+”

Facilitator says: Imagine we’re at our retrospectives <on date…if date is important to add to the image>. We’ve agreed that we gave ourselves an “A+” on the project! We know this from feedback from our customer, colleagues and <add other key groups>. <ask a focus question, such as:> What are some of the things they tell us??
or
Recall a story or key event that captures why you gave yourselves an “A”. What were the essential factors that contributed to this story or event ???
or
What was the evidence? What happened? What incident stands out? Write down your thoughts (individually).

2. Activity: Share stories in subgroups.

Form subgroups (either cross-affinity or affinity). Ask: What happened at specific point in time in the <project/phase/iteration>? Discuss as a group and share your stories.

3. Activity: Generate cards in subgroups (things we did to get the A+).

Ask (still in subgroups): “what did we do as a group to lead to these stories and events? For example, rituals, communication modes, quality gates, patterns…” Write then down, one per card.

4. Activity: storyboard the cards on a wall, group them, label them.

Plenary: conduct a storyboarding/Wall of Wonder activity so all the cards get on the wall and they are grouped (affinity groups) and have header cards. Tell them how they will use these groupings for planning (which should be an activity you do next in the workshop, or soon!).

5. Activity: personal commitment airplanes.

Paper Airplanes of Personal Commitment: (explain they will be next making a personal commitment toward getting an A+, and have a way for one person to help us to do so by checking in with us about our progress:

Hand out a piece of colored paper (let each person pick out the color they like!). Say: “think about what you did personally to contribute to making these various stories came true. Which of these things will you personally commit to doing?

Ask them to write down on the card: “Dear Self: in this project I will commit to…” and fill in what they are committed to doing. Write your name on the back of the paper.

Teach them to make a paper airline. Stand in a circle. Everyone flies their airplane into the center of the circle.

Ask them to pick up one airplane. So now everyone how one airplane.

Find the own, and discuss how they want to be “checked in with”. For example, suggest they mail it to the person each month, or week. Or, send an email to them about their commitment, or call them to see how they are doing…decide together.

Allow time for each person to meet with their helper.

For corrections and amendments of this activity and document, please email Ellen (ellen@ebgconsulting.com) and I’ll fix it and upload it.