Agile Retrospectives, 2nd Edition

Retrospective Prime Directive

Description and Rationale

Bring this activity when you need to encourage your retrospective participants to take a more systemic view of their team collaboration and processes. Some retrospective leaders begin with it routinely as a reminder and general meeting ground rule.

Norm Kerth’s “Retrospective Prime Directive” (see the facilitator guide below) emphasizes the importance of understanding behavior in context and as a system effect. The Retrospective Prime Directive encourages greater psychological safety, trust, and dignity for all members of the group—even when the team effort doesn’t turn out as planned or expected, as will certainly occur sooner or later. By giving others the benefit of the doubt, team members ...