How to do a mini-retrospective

After hitting an unanticipated issue or approval escalation, we should complete a mini-retrospective to help us improve our processes and avoid making the same mistake twice.

In the spirit of iteration and continuous improvement, after hitting a significant or repeated issue, we should write a mini-retrospective and share it with the team. This should take 5-10 minutes to prepare.

Following the resolution, the person with the most knowledge of the issue should send an email to the group with the following summary:

1. What was the issue?

2. What might be done to improve our outcomes in the future?

3. What are we changing in our process and/or documentation (if anything) to improve future outcomes?

By taking a moment to reflect, we have the opportunity to uplevel, and create lasting change and improvement.